


A Mate for a Mad Dog

by Poteto



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Again, Character Study, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Humor, KyouHaba Week, Kyoutani and Watari are childhood friends - Freeform, Kyoutani is a very confused bisexual, M/M, Nothing too harsh I guess, Yahaba has a secret, interpreting prompts way too freely, some language warning, their relationship change every chapter i don't even know
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-18
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2018-07-14 13:44:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7174178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poteto/pseuds/Poteto
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"So... basically your plan is to get Yahaba and Kyoutani to bond by forcing them to pretend to date? To avoid some girl that has a crush on Kyoutani?"<br/>"Ok, when you phrase it like that, it sounds stupid, but hear me out: It is not."<br/>"Yeah, I don't see how that would blow on anyone's face, like, at all."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Kyoutani's Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even know. Don't ask.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 0 - This is not even something related to the week itself, is just exposition on how Kyoutani ended up like this

“Dad, I don’t like girls.” Little Kyoutani announces, pouting.

Mr. Kyoutani chokes on his coffee and gives his 9-year-old son a concerned look.

The man frowns, an expression that would scare most people, but little Kyoutani is used to it. That’s just his father’s face, after all. The man shifts on his armchair uncomfortably and glances at the picture of Kyoutani’s mother on the cupboard, as if wishing she was here to deal with this. Since she isn’t, he clears his throat and mumbles:

“You… hum… You don’t have to like girls if you don’t want to.”

“Good.” Satisfied with the father’s answer, little Kyoutani goes back to his toys. “Because I really hate girls.”

“Hey, you brat!” Mr. Kyoutani’s scowl deepens. “I better not hear you went around picking on girls. You don’t have to like them, but you’ll be in trouble if you hurt anyone!”

“But they are so annoying!”

Mr. Kyoutani glares at him. Little Kyoutani pouts.

“Fine, I won’t!”

His father has never hurt him or even yelled at him, but little Kyoutani respects him regardless. He didn’t want to disappoint his dad, so a single look was enough to make Kyoutani behave the way he wanted. And, indeed, in his whole life, Kyoutani has never hurt any girls.

 

Later on, he found out that he didn’t really hate girls. Actually, he liked them. Especially the pretty ones. As he got older, he found out that he liked to look at them. Their fluffy hair and their fair skin… Their soft eyes and pretty lips… Girls are definitely aesthetically pleasing, to say the least. A good thing. At least they seem to be, in theory.

Practically speaking… not so much. The girls Kyoutani likes – the beautiful ones, that is – usually are scared of him and cry a lot. He isn’t even hurt by the fact that they are literally afraid of him – for reasons beyond his imagination since, as his father taught him, he would never hurt any of them – he’s just annoyed by the fact that they are big whiny babies.  He simply can’t bear people that cry and complain too much.

“Girls are just too much trouble.” He complains.

Ruri, a girl that lives in the neighborhood and lately has started playing with Kyoutani, throws a ball at his face.

“Boys are much worse!”

Kyoutani wants to throw the ball back at her, but before he's able to, Shinji-kun, the boy next door, grabs it from his hands.

“Some people are too much trouble, okay?”

Kyoutani pouts, but doesn’t try to pick up a fight anymore. Ruri seems to get a little calmer as well, but she keeps glaring at Kyoutani. The only reason the short-tempered girl and Kyoutani were able to be friends was Shinji, who is always there to be a peace maker and stop their constant fights.

“But hey, Ken-chan.” Shinji frowns a little. “It is too rude to Ruri-chan to just call girls trouble like that. Something happened?”

There is no answer from Kyoutani, but Ruri opens her big fat mouth and says with disgust:

“Kentarou is grumpy because Satsuki-chan didn’t want to play with him.”

While Shinji seems to finally understand the problem, Kyoutani turns bright red, anger filling him to the brim again.

“ _I didn’t really want to play with that ugly girl!_ ” He roars.

That is not really true. Satsuki is a girl that attends an elementary school nearby and Kyoutani had always watched her. Her hair looks soft and her big, brown eyes are always tender and nice to look at. He might have tried to give her a bug as a gift, but she started crying and told Kyoutani to never come near her again.

“It’s okay, Ken-chan.” Shinji pats his shoulder. “Never mind Satsuki-chan. Let’s play together instead, okay?”

With a sigh, Kyoutani agrees and the three children spend the rest of the afternoon running around the park. They had watched a volleyball match on the day before and Shinji wanted to learn how to toss. Ruri caught the gist of it before he did and Kyoutani pointed that Shinji could just receive his spikes, since he sucked so much at tossing. Shinji was not happy about it and they went home soon after.  It was not a good day in general, but Kyoutani liked playing volleyball with his friends at least. He would be happy if they could keep on having fun like this.

 

Regardless of his wishes, some things change.

They grow up. Ruri and Kyoutani go to the same middle school, but Shinji goes to a different one. They don’t see each other as often and it’s hard to stay friends like that, but somehow they manage. Both Kyoutani and Shinji join their respective schools’ volleyball clubs, so they still have a lot in common to talk about. Ruri, that is good in whichever sports she tries, always gives them her opinions. She’s very annoying, but also very helpful. Though they don’t see each other every day, they manage to at least play together during the weekends. Shinji has become better at setting the ball to whoever he wants, Ruri is very good at receiving even though she prefers basketball and Kyoutani's spikes grow stronger each passing day.

In fact, Kyoutani’s spikes might be too strong.

Middle school is almost ending and he doesn’t hang out with his childhood friends as much. Shinji is giving his best to become a good setter. Ruri was chosen captain of the female basketball team. Kyoutani… is trying. He doesn’t get along with his teammates, because they are annoyingly slow and afraid to take risks, but he loves to play. He tries to carry the whole team on his shoulders through the tournament, but it isn’t enough. They lose. He finds himself lying on his back on Ruri’s couch after a particularly bad loss. A text message on his phone informs them that Shinji’s team won against the powerhouse Kitagawa Daichi  - apparently they stopped playing and their best setter was benched and Shinji’s victory was really easy – and Kentarou still haven’t gathered the courage to reply that his own team lost.

“You should talk to Shin-chan soon.” Ruri tells him abruptly. “He’s going to hear about it sometime and it is best if he hears it from you.”

Kyoutani grunts. Ruri only gives him an annoyed look and rolls her eyes. She was never very sensible – , that was Shinji’s job – and she doesn’t try to comfort him. Instead, she lets Kyoutani lie there feeling sorry for himself and completely ignores him as she watches a video of the team she’s going to play next week. She even takes notes. Kyoutani wishes she would at least pet his hair or something like that, but he admits to himself that it wouldn’t feel like Ruri if she did.

He’s been there for a while when Ruri is done both with her video and with ignoring him.

“So…” she starts, looking at him with a grave expression. “Volleyball is really that important to you, right?”

He glares at her. “What kind of stupid question is that anyway?”

“A rhetorical one. I get it. After all, I have the basketball club myself. I know what if feels like.” She pulls a face. “I bet you can’t balance anything else in your life besides volleyball, am I right?”

“What are you even talking about?”

“Nothing.” She sighs. “It’s just… I respect that. And I’m not going to distract you or anything, so I want you to give your best, okay? And play with all your strength, did you hear me?”

“I don’t need you to tell me that! I already play with everything I have!”

She grins as if she’s satisfied with that answer and turns on her computer again, leaving Kyoutani wondering what that was about.

 

When it finally comes the time of choosing a high school, the three childhood friends are reunited: in fact, Ruri and Shinji end up in the same class for their first year. They seem to think that Kyoutani will get lonely, so they come to have lunch together every day. Kyoutani insists that they are embarrassing and asks them to stop calling him by his first name. While Shinji agrees easily and immediately starts calling him “Kyoutani” instead of “Ken-chan” – and Shinji becomes “Watari” – Ruri stubbornly refuses and keeps calling him by his first name. She’s always been that annoying.

 

Spring is almost over when it happens.

Kentarou hasn’t thought of his little people problem in ages when some higher power decides to send him a test. The worst test Kyoutani had ever faced.

“Today we are going to welcome a transferred student,” the teacher announces. “Yahaba-kun, may you please come in?”

A boy enters the classroom and everything goes downhill after that.

“Good morning.” He smiles with a hint of shyness. “I’m Shigeru Yahaba. I hope to get along with everyone this year.”

He looks as awkward as any teenage boy who’s just experienced a sudden growth spurt, but leaving that aside he is flawless: his hair looks like it would feel like velvet to the touch. Unlike many of their classmates, he doesn’t have any pimples. His eyes are big, brown and warm. His nose is perfectly straight and his mouth curves softly in a gentle smile that is just cute. He’s adorable. He’s beautiful.

Kyoutani feels his heart beating faster than in middle school when the club’s manager Riko-chan offered to give his arms a massage. It doesn’t help when the teacher tells Yahaba to seat “on the unoccupied spot in front of Kyoutani-kun.” It doesn’t calm Kyoutani’s nerves that he gets to spend the rest of the morning staring at Yahaba’s long neck and fighting the urge to touch his bare nape just to see if the thin hairs there are as soft as they look.

He’s ready to jump out of his chair and leave immediately as soon as lunch break is announced. However, before he can act, Yahaba turns around and smiles. Kyoutani freezes on the spot. It’s not often that people try to talk to him – especially after he dyed his hair last winter – so he is too shocked to act.

“Hi.” Yahaba starts and even his voice is perfect. Apparently he’s already done with the awkward voice changes, because he sounds like chocolate for the ears. “With the whole moving thing, we didn’t even have time to make proper food, so I don’t really have a lunchbox today. Do you know if there are any convenience stores nearby?”

Kyoutani takes a deep breath, unsure of the proper response. For some reason, telling him to make his own damn food seems to be a good option. But that’s not what he was asked to say, was it? He vaguely registers by the corner of his eyes as the classroom’s door slides open so Watari and Ruri enter to join him for lunch. Kyoutani grabs the opportunity like a desperate man and gets up suddenly. Somehow, his mouth moves on its own and he can hear his voice saying:

“ _Get the hell out of my school_.”

And he dramatically turns around to leave.  

He doesn’t wait to see if Yahaba starts crying – because that’s what all of them have been doing for all of these years – and he doesn’t stop even when he hears Watari’s surprised gasp and Ruri’s confused “ _Kentarou_?!”, he just keeps walking.

“Kentarou!” He hears his friends calling after him and he finally stops outside. “My God, what was that? You simply… whoa, are you okay?”

He is not. His face is as red as a tomato and he feels exactly like that 7 year-old boy that gave a dead beetle to a girl, even though he knew that she would not like the gift. Because he got nervous around a pretty person and, when he's nervous, his first instinct is to attack. It's stronger than him.

“Oooh, so this is your weakness acting up again.” Watari laughs softly.

“I don’t have a _weakness_!” Kyoutani barks and his voice breaks horribly. Unlike Yahaba, he’s still struggling with that.

And of course both Ruri and Watari ignore him and just keep talking:

“What weakness?” Ruri asks.

“About cute people. Ken-chan has a type, haven’t you noticed? He always gets like this when a cute person talks to him.”

As Kyoutani yells at Watari that is _nothing_ like that and he _does not_ have a type and _stop calling him Ken-can_ , he doesn’t notice that Ruri isn’t teasing him like she usually does. Instead, she is mouthing the word “cute” to herself as if in deep thought.

 

In the end, Yahaba proves himself to be a smaller problem than originally thought. He does join the volleyball club – Kyoutani almost has a stroke when he sees Yahaba there – but he doesn’t try to talk to Kyoutani after that disastrous first meeting. In spite of still finding hard to focus in class when Yahaba’s nape was in front of him every day, Kyoutani had more important matters to worry about.  For example, the upcoming tournament.

That weird guy, Tooru Oikawa, has been pestering him to participate more. While Kyoutani did want to play, he found it difficult to fit in. Watari was always willing to set the ball to Kentarou, but he wouldn’t always be able to. Watari had given up being a setter and decided to be a libero, so he needed to practice his receives before anything else. Oikawa always tries to get him to participate more actively, but Kyoutani simply can’t get along with any of the upperclassmen:  the third years are too bossy and the second years are too weird. 

Kyoutani watches as Shigeru Yahaba runs in circles around them, apparently too eager to please – which is beyond annoying. Kyoutani might like his looks, but his wimpy personality is the worst – and as Watari quickly becomes a starter, since he’s the only libero available. Kyoutani finds out that he isn’t part of the team as they are. He isn’t essential like Watari – he might be strong, yes, but he can’t find a way to coordinate his movements with the others’ – and he isn’t a people person like Yahaba. The year drags itself longer than usual.

On Kyoutani’s first year of high school, his team loses again. This time is even bitterer because he didn’t even get the chance to try. He isn't inside the court. He isn't even on the bench. His team loses and he didn’t even get the chance to try and lead them to victory.

 

As a second year, he simply stops going to practice. Maybe he’ll wait until the upperclassmen retire… maybe the first years will not be as bad… maybe it will get better later.

Watari tries to get him to go back to practice, without success. Ruri has been too busy with her friends from the basketball club to actually be a pain, but she’s always been the kind of girl to speak up her mind and she makes sure that Kyoutani knows how much she disapproves his new posture towards the team. Sometimes – just sometimes, though – Kyoutani is under the impression that Shigeru Yahaba gives him some grumpy looks every now and then, but that must be just his imagination. There is no way a wimpy guy like Yahaba would face Kyoutani like that.

 

(Meanwhile, Ruri’s been weird. Not only she doesn’t hang out with Watari and Kyoutani as she did in the past, she’s also letting her hair grow and starts wearing short skirts. She starts wearing her hair in pigtails that look extremely uncomfortable and that don't suit her at all. Watari has commented that this is something that most girls do anyway, but Keyoutani can’t shake the feeling that she looks a little miserable.)

“Kentarou”, she starts in one of these days in which they are walking home together. “There is something that I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

He frowns, because it’s not like Ruri to beat around the bush. He waits in silence until she continues:

“I didn’t tell you before, because I thought you needed to focus on volleyball and I didn’t want to get in your way. Because I thought you wouldn’t balance both things. But, since you stopped going to practice…”

Kyoutani thinks of telling her that he hasn’t given up and that he plans on going back as soon as the current third years retire. But, since he’s curious, he decides to keep his mouth shut and see where she’s going with this.

“Kentarou.” Ruri stops walking and glares at him. He follows her example. “I like you. Please go out with me.”

There is heavy silence. He keeps looking at his childhood friend, a girl that he likes very much, but whom he never saw that way. He doesn't know what to say, so he just stands there, staring at her. Ruri starts to get impatient.

"Well?" She demands, her chubby cheeks getting redder. "What is your answer?"

Kyoutani lets out a small whimper like a hurt, confused dog... and runs the hell out of there. 


	2. Oikawa's big plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 2 - ~~magic/fantasy~~ / training camp

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They don't even train in this.

Oikawa is always the first to arrive for the training camp. He jogs to school so early that even Iwaizumi isn’t with him yet.  Usually he has the time to even stretch some more after running before opening the gym – and that’s when his teammates start to arrive, Iwaizumi, Hanamaki and Kindaichi being always the first ones. Thus he doesn’t expect to see anyone that early at Aoba Johsai.

On that morning, however, he finds out that somebody woke up before he did for once, as he is greeted by the sight of the broad back of Kentarou Kyoutani. Oikawa slows down, wondering if his eyes aren’t playing a trick on him, but there is no way he would mistake Kyoutani for anybody else with his blond hair and his impressive muscles.

“Mad Dog-chan?” He calls as he gets closer.

Kyoutani does justice to the nickname and turns around with his teeth bared and letting out an angry snarl:

“Don’t call me that!”

“What are you doing here?”

“I study here, you moron!” And he starts running around the gym.

Oikawa watches him go, confused.

 _Well… that happened_. And he proceeds to open the club room, thinking to himself what a waste it is that Kyoutani refuses to actively be a part of the club. He can think of several uses Kyoutani would have against Shiratorizawa and feels honestly bitter that he can’t get Kyoutani to join them. It also worries him about the future of the team.  It is not that the other players aren’t strong… it’s just that none of them has the raw talent that Kyoutani has showed.

 _Oh well_ … With a sigh, Oikawa starts changing his clothes. It’s better to think about ways of improving his current team than torturing himself with what ifs. He really wanted Kyoutani to join them, but he can’t force somebody who’s that uninterested in volleyball to play.

 

It isn’t until later in that morning when practice already started that the gym’s door slides open and Kyoutani comes in with his hands shoved in his pockets and carrying a general air of boredom. A lot of club members stop what they are doing to watch.

“What is this…?” He mumbles, sounding annoyed.

 _What is he doing_? Oikawa wonders. _Is he… Is he trying to come back to the club, but playing it off as if it is no big deal?_

“Hey!” Somebody snarls and Oikawa sees Yahaba walking towards Kyoutani. “If you’re going to show up after all this time, the least you can do is to greet us properly!”

 Oikawa puts himself between them before Yahaba starts a fight – he knows his underclassmen way to well to see the outcome of this – and he is curious. What is Kyoutani doing?

“Now, now. Calm down, Yahaba.” He smiles.

“…! Oikawa-san?” Thrown off by surprise, Yahaba’s anger seems to vanish a little.

“Long time no see.” Oikawa lies and directions his grin to Kyoutani. “I’ve been waiting for you. Welcome back, Mad Dog-chan.”

“Why the hell are the third years still around? I figured they would’ve retired already after losing at the inter-high.”

That damn brat. Oikawa lets out an amused little laughter and keeps his cool – he can feel all of his teammates getting riled up and he’s pretty sure that most of them want to beat the hell out of Kyoutani – because he knows that Kyoutani knew damn well that the third years would still be around.  He saw Oikawa early in that morning. He should have figured that most of them stuck around. And he has been in school since that unholy hour, so there was just one explanation for his behavior: he wanted to go back to the team really badly, but the dork was embarrassed about it.

“You’re just as amusing as always, Mad Dog-chan.” Oikawa singsongs and ignores it when Kyoutani mumble something about weird nicknames. “Huhu…  “Aaah! I’m so glad I was able to play on the same team as Oikawa-san!” is what you’re going to think when this is over.”

Kyoutani backs down a few steps, as if he’s preparing for a fight. Oikawa doesn’t get it, after all he wanted to make Kyoutani feel welcomed and excited to join. Because if his intuition is right…

And it is. As he watches Kyoutani in the court, if becomes clear that he has been practicing. Maybe he isn’t as uninterested towards volleyball as Oikawa originally thought. Then there must be a way of getting him to stay in the team! There must be a way of helping him to fit in!

 

It happens during afternoon practice on the third day of training camp. Oikawa is running a few laps outside along with the rest of the third years when he sees a blond figure sprinting out of the gym. Oikawa frowns. It's not unusual for Kyoutani to skip practice, but it is not like him to literally run away once he went through all the trouble to actually show up. Oikawa was leading his teammates, but he slows down, curious, until he's the last on line. 

"Keep the pace, guys!" he shouts and they do.

They don't even question when Oikawa slowly stops running and walks towards the gym to investigate what's going on - everybody in the volleyball club knows that Tooru Oikawa is no slacker, so they know there must be a reason for him to leave his teammates. He notices that Iwaizumi and Matsukawa ignored his orders and followed him, but he doesn't mind that much. It's not like it's a habit of theirs to run from practice too and it's always nice to have them backing him up - that is, when they're not bullying him.

Regardless of bullying or supporting him, it is a habit of his best friends to follow Oikawa most of the time.

When he enters the gym, he finds everybody practicing normally and, at first, he has no idea of what might have caused Kyoutani's retreat. He then notices Hanamaki on a bench - he's hurt his ankle last night and is sitting out this practice - grinning lightly as he stares at something. Oikawa follows his gaze and finds Watari by the main entrance talking to a girl. The girl looks very irritated and Watari looks very tired. Oikawa gives Hanamaki a questioning look.

"Kyoutani's girlfriend." Hanamaki mouths, pointing at the girl.

Oikawa frowns, sure that he understood wrong. Oikawa knows his teammates very well - even Kyoutani - and he's very sure that Kyoutani barely talks to other people at school. He knows that Kyoutani doesn't have many friends, let alone a girlfriend. Even more curious, he puts on his politest, gentlest smile and approaches them. He tries to ignore the fact that Iwaizumi and Matsukawa just joined Hanamaki on the bench and are watching the scene like it is some sort of play.

"Yahoo~" He singsongs to catch the girl's and Watari’s attention. "We're in the middle of the practice, Watacchi, what are you doing?"

"Oikawa-san." Watari sighs, and there is a hint of relief on his eyes when he sees his captain. "I was..."

"Where's Kentarou?" The girl cuts him off, tapping one of her feet rapidly on the floor. 

Oikawa's smile falters for a second, because  _Kentarou_? Is it possible that this girl is indeed Kyoutani's girlfriend? She doesn't look like she could fit by Kyoutani's side: she's petite and her inky black hair has been carefully divided in two pigtails. Her round eyes now express ferocious anger. She doesn't seem to care that both Oikawa and Watari are older and bigger than her.

Yeah, okay, maybe she could be by Kyoutani's side.

"He's not here right now." Oikawa fixes his kind smile again.

"Don't  _lie_!" The girl demands, making Watari flinch.  _Yup, definitely Kyoutani's peer_. "I saw him coming to practice!"

"He did come." Oikawa patiently explains. "But he left just a while ago, so he's not here."

"ARGH! That coward! How long is he going to keep running?" She snarls and Oikawa can't decide if it's cute or weird to see girl so tiny in such murderous rage.

"I'm sorry... But are you here to challenge him for a duel or something...?" He tries. It's not something you would usually ask to a girl, but that is no regular girl, so he figures he can give it a try. She sure does look like she's ready to try and punch Kyoutani in the face. No wonder he ran away.

"What? Of course not! I'm here to get the answer to my love confession!"

Watari chokes on his own spit and Oikawa can hear his fellow third years snorting somewhere not that far behind him. He can't bring himself blame them. The situation  _is_  funny, in a twisted way. His romantic side gets concerned. While the girl does look like someone who would fall for a weird guy like Kyoutani, they are too much alike. Oikawa is not sure if a relationship between two people that are so equal would work. He believes fiercely that opposites attract and honestly is happy with  _his opposite_  by his side. Meanwhile, his _captain side_  is annoyed that the girl is making Kyoutani skip practice. Kyoutani is talented, but he'll never adjust to the team if he keeps missing their training sessions like that.

"Ok, first... What's your name again?"

"Ruri Sanada."

"Right, then Ruri-chan..."

"It's Sanada for you!"

Oikawa's smile falters a little. He hears Iwaizumi's familiar laughter and he gets even more annoyed. He has to physically fight to keep the smile on place.

"Fine. Sanada-chan, then. I'm Oikawa and I'm the captain of the volleyball team. I don't want to be rude or anything, but couldn't you look for Mad Do... I mean, Kyoutani-kun when he's not at practice?"

"If I could, I wouldn't be here!" She lets out a heavy sigh. "It's been four days since I’ve confessed and he keeps avoiding me!"

Kyoutani's sudden return to the club now makes sense.

Oikawa bites his lower lip. He wanted Kyoutani on the team. Kyoutani was a powerful weapon that Oikawa rather have on his side, because he was sure he could figure a way to make him fit. He was a little concerned about Yahaba's grudge against Kyoutani - after all Yahaba was his precious back-up setter and very likely to replace Oikawa as captain next year - but he was sure that he could fix everything into place if only Kyoutani started coming to practice - even if his reason for coming was to avoid a girl.

"Well, I don't want to meddle, but if Kyoutani-kun keeps avoiding you, doesn't it mean that he won't be a good boyfriend?"

Sanada gasps and she looks even more offended than Oikawa's ex-girlfriend did when he canceled a date because he needed to stay late to practice with the newbies.

"How dare...! You can't just...!" She stammers, legitimately outraged. "I don't expect an ugly wimp like you to understand Kentarou!"

He can hear Hanamaki, Matsukawa and Iwaizumi actually howling with laughter behind him. Ugly. _This girl just called him ugly._ He feels something breaking inside his chest. _This midget said he's ugly_. Watari breathes in sharply and says something in an exasperate tone. Oikawa doesn't understand, because _a girl called him ugly_.  His smile freezes on his face. Actually, his whole body freezes on the spot, because this  _little shit_ had the nerve, the  _audacity_ to look at his beautiful face and call it  _ugly_. 

"Sanada- _chan_." He tries his best to sound as cheerful as before, but it's hard when all he wants is to murder this bad-mannered brat. "I'm trying to  _nicely_  tell you to give up on Kyoutani-kun."

"And why would I do that?" 

"Because Kyoutani-kun is already taken."

He probably shouldn't lie like that. It's pretty impossible that two people at the same time would fall for Kyoutani. However Sanada seems to believe in him, for her eyes widen with shock for a second before she pulls out her brave facade again. Oikawa's smile becomes a little sly, because it's actually enjoyable to get his sweet, sweet revenge. (Later he'll probably be beat up by Iwaizumi for this and he'll actually feel guilty for going off on this 15 year old, but hey. She started it.)

"You're lying." She accuses. "I'd know if Kentarou had a girlfriend."

A sudden inspiration hits him hard and his grin widens. Two birds, one stone.

"Oh, it is because it's not a girlfriend~ He's been keeping it a secret. Of course I know, after all I am his captain, but I'd appreciate if Sanada-chan kept it down too."

"Do I look like some kind of gossiper? Spit it out!"

"Well... Kyoutani-kun is dating his dear, dear teammate Yahaba."

Both Watari and Sanada give Oikawa horrified looks, but he keeps his expression sympathetic and nice. He would have patted himself in the back because of his great, great plan. And he would let out an evil laughter. Oh sweet revenge.

"Y-you're lying." She huffs, angry red blotches blossoming on her cheeks. "You're no help at all!"

Oikawa waves as she stomps off.

He turns around and meets his friends, all glaring at him.

"What?"

"Why would you say that, Oikawa-san?" Watari wails.

"Oh, come on, you're not looking at the big picture! It's perfect! If she thinks Mad Dog-chan is gay, she will have to stop chasing him, won't she?"

"No, she won't!" Iwaizumi barks. "Have you seen that girl? She obviously won't give up that easily. She will probably stalk them now and realize really quickly that both Kyoutani and Yahaba are pretty much single."

“Ah, come on. This is not a teen movie.”

Oikawa tries to brush it off, because who is _that_ obsessed? The girl is now probably offended and upset; she’ll mourn for a few days and move on. She’s just 15, after all. 15 year-old's crushes are not that… Oikawa suddenly remembers that he realized that he was in love with his special person when he was 15.

He shakes his head _._

“It’s going to be fine!” He guarantees one more time. “Now can anybody go and fetch Kyoutani? Practice isn’t over, you know.”

Iwaizumi glares at him and that's all it takes for Oikawa to feel guilty already. This might have been because the girl offended him and he wanted to shock her, but just a little. This as mostly for Kyoutani's sake, really. Oikawa's brilliant plan being ignited by ulterior motives isn't important, what really matters is that it will be good for the volleyball club. Or at least is what he tells himself once the guilt of getting so angry at a weird girl.

(Obviously she wouldn't find him beautiful, after all  _Kyoutani_  was her type. The girl has twisted tastes! Who cares?)

Nonetheless, what is done is done and Oikawa isn't one to mourn the past (even if the past is the mess he set up out of impulse a few moments ago), so he decides to focus on the future. And probably think of a way to fix this situation without getting murdered by his underclassmen. Maybe Sanada already gave up on Kyoutani (What’s so good about Kyoutani anyway?) and neither Yahaba or Kyoutani will have to hear about it.

Yeah.

_And Kageyama is the smartest kid in town._

 

 

During lunch break, Iwaizumi decides to go for a walk around school on his own to get a break from his loud friends. It’s kind of nice to be there on a Holiday because there is something different and exciting on the atmosphere. He walks by the baseball field, where the baseball club is giving their best on their own training camp and watching that makes him feel oddly satisfied. In peace.

His peace ends when the phone on his pocket starts to buzz.

 

 

 

> from: tooru
> 
> [05:37pm] I need you here
> 
>  
> 
> To: tooru
> 
> [05:37pm] ew go away
> 
> [05:37pm] so thirsty smh
> 
>  
> 
> From: tooru
> 
> [05:38pm] Not like THAT, Iwa-chan, you perv!!  
>  [05:38pm] This is not a drill.  
>  [05:38pm] Watacchi texted me that Sanada-chan is after Yahaba
> 
>  
> 
> To: tooru
> 
> [05:38pm] get rekt  
>  [05:39pm] u got this coming
> 
>  
> 
> From: tooru
> 
> [05:39pm] HAJIME PLEASE
> 
>  
> 
> To: tooru
> 
> [05:40pm] fine
> 
>  

Iwaizumi heads back to the gym without hurry and he’s still halfway there when Oikawa and Matsukawa come running towards him. Oikawa looks desperate and Matsukawa looks like he’s having the time of his life.

“Iwa-chan!” Oikawa shouts. “Get Kyoutani! Take him to the clubroom! You’re the only one who can!”

“What the- What are you doing, Oikawa?”

“There is no time to explain!” Matsukawa grins widely as they run by. “Just get your son there and wait for us!”

Iwaizumi wonders if other volleyball players have to face these shenanigans that Oikawa puts them through.

 

“So, Oikawa-sama…” Matsukawa starts. “What are you going to do now that Sanada-chan proved that she doesn’t give up easily?”

"Now we just have to make them pretend they're dating."

Matsukawa starts laughing so hard that he almost falls.

"I knew you were gonna say that!"

"Well, it’s perfect!" Oikawa sighs heavily. "Think. Yahaba is going to be our main setter next year, right? Who do you think is going to be the ace?" There is a brief pause. "That's right! None of the first years is mature enough for the position and, while our second years are pretty strong, they aren't anywhere near Iwa-chan's level. The closest we have to a new ace is Kyoutani. All I need to do is get him to work together with Yahaba! They need to get along well! If I make them pretend to date, they'll definitely get closer."

"Are you... Are you being captain of the next year team?" Matsukawa cocks an eyebrow. "You do know you're graduating this year and how the team goes on is none of your business, right?"

"I just want to help my cute underclassmen!"

And they finally reach the hallway they were looking for. Yahaba, on his way to the bathroom, but stopped midway by a girl who is half of his size and she looks very angry. Oikawa can’t hear what they are talking about, but Yahaba looks very confused. He is about to say something and Oikawa must stop it at all costs.

“Matsun, go get him!”

“Aye, aye, captain.” And, as Oikawa stops and hides behind a corner as Matsukawa keeps going and calling out: “Hey, Yahaba!”

Sanada and Yahaba stare at Matsukawa. Sanada looks ferocious. Yahaba, confused.

“Oikawa needs everyone to go to the club room right now.” Matsukawa lies. “This can’t wait, it’s an emergency. A volleyball emergency.”

He grabs Yahaba’s by the collar before anyone can protest and drags him along as he starts running again. Sanada’s complaint is muffled by Yahaba’s startled yelp.

“Matsun, nice!”

“What is going on?”

Regardless of his confusion, Yahaba runs along with them. Oikawa always loved how cooperative Yahaba can be sometimes.

“You shall see, Shigeru-kun, just follow us!”

He does. They run all the way back to the club room and – fortunately – Sanada doesn’t try to follow them. It’s just the three of them and, when they finally arrive at their destiny, Iwaizumi and Kyoutani are already there. For some reason, Hanamaki is there, grinning as if he watching a show and holding a large bag of popcorn. Where did he even get that? Watari is there too, which makes Oikawa happy. They always needed Watari to be a mediator between them and Kyoutani.

“Oikawa-san.” Yahaba seems to be getting impatient. “What the hell was that about?”

“So everyone is here! Good!” Oikawa grins doing his best to not show how relieved he is that everything worked out. “I called you all here to ask you for your collaboration to help an important teammate… Mad Dog-chan!”

Yahaba makes a disgusted face, making clear that the last thing he wants to do is something for Kyoutani. Meanwhile, Kyoutani crosses his arms trying to make himself look scarier. He’s very good at that.

“I don’t need the help of any of you.” He says.

“Really?” Oikawa raises an eyebrow. “Is that why you were running from a girl today?”

Kyoutani’s face goes scarlet. Behind him, Iwaizumi massages his own temples and Hanamaki and Matsukawa start sharing the popcorn.

“That is nothing of your concern!” Kyoutani barks.

“It is, because I’m your captain and Sanada-chan’s presence disrupted your participation in the clubs’ activities. That’s why I had a little talk with her to get her to give up on you.”

His brave façade instantaneously broken, Kyoutani’s sharp eyes sparkle with hope. “Did you… You got her to give up?”

“Well… Kind of. I’ve come up with a plan that will help on that. I told her you are a taken man.”

“Just that?” Kyoutani’s hope vanishes. “She won’t believe that. She knows I’m not dating anyone.”

“That’s why I told her your relationship is a secret, Kyoutani-kun.” Oikawa gives him a lopsided grin. “I told her you’re dating Yahaba.”

His voice sharp and lethal like a whip Yahaba then snarls:

"You did _WHAT_?"

Under his dear underclassman's glare, Oikawa fears for his life.


	3. Yahaba's final form

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 4 - Fighting/Friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *shows up to day 4 very late and with a chapter full of stuff that you already saw in the manga*  
> ... Sorry?

“Now, now, there is no reason to get so angry.”

Kyoutani has never seen anyone quite as stupid as Oikawa or anyone as furious as Yahaba: the former stands there with his stupid grin as if he thinks that he can smile his way out of this and the latter so absurdly enraged that he can’t even say anything. Yahaba opens and closes his mouth, as if he can’t find words to fully translate his fury, angry blotches of red blossoming on his cheeks. Oikawa’s smile falters a little and Kyoutani doesn’t blame him. He has never seen Yahaba so murderous.

It surprises him so much that he forgets to get angry himself.

“Yahaba…” Watari carefully puts his hand on Yahaba’s shoulder. “You have every right to be upset, but please listen to Oikawa-san’s side first, all right?”

Watari’s soothing tone is too familiar – is the tone he uses every time Ruri and Kyoutani get into a fight and he has  to calm them down – and it is what snaps Kyoutani out of his shock. He scoffs:

“What _is_ his side? That he’s a fucking moron?” 

"Hey!" Yahaba glares at him. "Don't talk like that to your captain, you jerk!"

"What, are you on his side now?" Kyoutani is too impatient to stay put, so he starts walking around angrily. "Do you  _agree_  with this?"

"Of course not! But that doesn't mean you get to use that language while talking to your upperclassmen."

"He's only one year older than me!"

Yahaba’s face starts twisting in anger again and before Kyoutani knows, they are yelling at each other. It is a weird sensation to watch Yahaba’s perfect hair falling out of place and his eyes gleaming with raw rage. It doesn’t suit him in the least, but Kyoutani can’t take his eyes away from him.

 

Oikawa look at his friends, expecting some help. Matsukawa only mouths "couple of the year" to him as Hanamaki smirks. Iwaizumi got an energy bar from his pocket and started eating it, unfazed. Watari is the only one who seems distressed, but there is some kind of resigned acceptance on his eyes as he watches Kyoutani and Yahaba bickering. Oikawa groans.

"Listen, you two!" He shouts, trying to make himself be heard above the fight. "I'm sorry, okay? I did this on impulse, I probably shouldn't have meddled."

Hanamaki pretends to choke on his popcorn. Matsukawa starts to slap his back and exchanges a shocked look with Iwaizumi muttering: "Did you hear that? Oikawa admitted he was wrong!"

"Did not!" Oikawa pouts again. "I said it was a careless decision, but I still think it's a good plan! Mad Dog-chan wants this girl to give up on him, don't you?"

"I..." Kyoutani's neck reddens and it's not out of anger. "I do, but this is stupid!"

"No, it isn't. Even the most insistent girls give up if they think you're dating someone. Trust me, I know that." He chuckles. Hanamaki and Matsukawa start throwing popcorn at him. "Hey, cut it out, you two!"

Kyoutani grumbles something under his breath, as if he's starting to give in. Oikawa feels a little more hopeful that his mess will be fixed. Or that his big plan will work. Let's stick with calling it big plan, yes. 

"That's _great_ ; Kyoutani gets to get rid of the girl." Yahaba starts, doing his best to keep his voice polite, but sounding sarcastic nonetheless. Kyoutani gapes at him, but he doesn't seem to mind. "Why did you have to say he was dating  _me_? I don't want to fake-date Kyoutani."

"Yahaba,  _please_." Oikawa groans. "She wouldn't believe me if I didn't give her a name! I'd pretend to be Mad Dog-chan's boyfriend myself, but I'm obviously out of his league and...  _Stop_  throwing stuff at me, you two, you're wasting food!"

"I obviously wouldn't date  _you."_ The glare Kyoutani gives Oikawa is slightly disgusted and, for the second time that day, Oikawa wants to crush an underclassman. Seriously, what's with these kids of these days?  _Why can't they be more like Kindaichi?_  "But I wouldn't date this prick either" Kyoutani gestures at Yahaba, that merely cocks an eyebrow, unaffected by the insult. "Why couldn't you pick someone less annoying, like Iwaizumi-san?"

Oikawa gasps, wondering if Kyoutani realizes that what he just implied - that he  _would_  date Iwaizumi, if it was given him the chance - and he looks at Iwaizumi, expecting him to dismiss Kyoutani. But apparently Oikawa had let Iwaizumi spend too much time with Hanamaki and Matsukawa, because instead of doing something about Kyoutani or even helping Oikawa out, Iwaizumi gives him a shit-eating grin and asks:

"Yeah, Oikawa, why not Iwaizumi-san?"

Hanamaki and Matsukawa whoop on the background.

"You...! What... How can you...  _ARGH_! Iwa-chan, you're sleeping on the couch!"

"We don't live together, dude."

"When we do, you already have a week of couch waiting for you!"

"I... Think I'll get going." Yahaba softly says.

"No!" Oikawa puts himself between Yahaba and the door. "I need you to agree to fake-date first!"

"Yeah, so Oikawa can watch that little innocent girl suffer."

"Only because she acknowledges he's ugly."

" _Because_!" Oikawa interrupts, glaring at Hanamaki and Matsukawa. "I don't want her to disturb Mad Dog-chan's practice. Her weird taste in men has nothing to do with it."

"Right." Iwaizumi snorts.

Oikawa lets out a frustrated moan, wondering what he did to deserve such disloyal friends, but tries to focus on the task at hand:

"Listen, I'm not asking you to get married. And we're in Japan, nobody expects you guys to embrace in public or anything. You just have to... I don't know, maybe walk to the station together and have lunch together or something. You are classmates, so it's not a big deal. Then you come to practice together for one or two weeks. Nobody but her will think too much into it."

Something sparkles on Yahaba's eyes. He's probably figured that Oikawa only wants to drag Kyoutani to practice often enough for him to get hooked up with the sport again. Yahaba is quite smart and he knows that Kyoutani is an important pawn on their path to the victory. Yahaba wants Aoba Johsai to win almost as much as Oikawa, of course, so the two setters face each other in a silent battle for a feel seconds. Oikawa knows Yahaba is measuring the pros and the cons and slowly realizing that Kyoutani is going to be literally the ace up their sleeve on Spring High. A smug grin widens on Oikawa's face when Yahaba lets out a defeated sigh.

"Fine." He begrudgingly agrees. "I'll do it."

"This is an awful idea." Kyoutani complains.

Hanamaki and Matsukawa grin at each other and Iwaizumi sighs, but Oikawa puts his hands on his hips, rather satisfied with himself. Kyoutani will show up to practice more often. Yahaba will get used to him. They'll (probably) play better together. They will have a secret weapon to win Spring High. That girl will pay for being insolent (not that this part matters, really, Oikawa had forgotten already, why are we still talking about that?) and Aoba Johsai will walk directly towards victory. Yes, everything will work out.

Well... Probably.

 

 

Kyoutani doesn’t sleep with the rest of the team at school because he lives nearby, so training camp doesn’t really feel like training camp. That aside, Kyoutani goes home with his heart still racing – and not because of the volleyball practice.

What the hell was that? Yahaba – that wimpy Yahaba, the pretty boy that liked licking the upperclassmen’s shoes – looked like he was about to jump at Oikawa’s throat. He still looked pretty, but…

Well. Not wimpy at all.

Which doesn’t make any sense, because, according to Kyoutani’s experience, the pretty ones are always sissies. And Yahaba specifically has been one of the prettiest people and also one of the biggest pushovers Kyoutani had ever met. So again: what the hell?

Kyoutani isn’t himself on that night. He doesn’t pay attention to what he’s doing and burns dinner (his father reassures him that it’s okay and they order delivery food, but he feels extremely stupid regardless) and later he finds it difficult to fall asleep. Hell, he even forgets the whole reason of everything, which is Ruri, although this might be some sort of coping mechanism. Because Kyoutani doesn’t want to think about the fact that he has to pretend to be Shigeru Yahaba’s boyfriend.

Considering how much time he wasted thinking of Yahaba, you’d expected him to be prepared for that morning. Nonetheless, Kyoutani almost has a heart attack and dies when he steps outside of the building where he lives and finds Yahaba waiting outside.

His brains malfunctions and offers him four options:

  1. Flee!!;
  2. Punch Yahaba in the face;
  3. Punch himself in the face;
  4. Die.



All of those sound bad, thus instead of choosing one, Kyoutani snarls: “What the literal fuck are you doing here?”

Yahaba gives him an annoyed look and replies simply:

“I don’t do anything half-assed.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?”

“That if I’m going to pretend to date you, I’m doing it right.” Yahaba’s voice sounds incredibly condescending and snob. If he had long hair, Kyoutani bets he’d be throwing it over his shoulder. “But don’t get it wrong. I’m doing this because Oikawa-san asked me to.”

“Of course you’d do anything he’d tell you to.” Kyoutani twists his nose, disgusted. “But what does that has to do with you being here?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Yahaba quirks a perfect eyebrow. “We’re going to school together like the happily in love couple we are.”

Kyoutani is positive that he’s about to have a giggling fit, so he turns his back to Yahaba and quickly starts walking. He feels his neck burning and he marvels the fact that Yahaba can say such an embarrassing thing with a straight face.

“Hey!” Yahaba complains and runs a little to catch up. “If you’re going to be rude like that, I’m not helping you.”

“How the fuck do you even know where I live?” Kyoutani roars because… well, it is better to keep talking roughly. The nervous giggle fit is still threatening to escape.

“Are you kidding me? I’m the class representative, idiot, I have everyone’s addresses.”

Class representative? Yahaba does fit the role with the proper way he tucks his uniform to his stupid hair that is never out of place.

“Wait, wait, Kyoutani… You didn’t know that I was class rep? We are classmates. What were you doing when we chose the rep?”

Honestly, Kyoutani doesn’t remember, so all he does is to shrug a little. Yahaba seems baffled.

And that’s not the last thing that upsets Yahaba. For the rest of the way until school, Kyoutani learns that many, many things annoy Yahaba. Once again: what the hell?

Yahaba complains that Kyoutani doesn’t participate in their class’ activities, that Kyoutani doesn’t respect older students, that Kyoutani breathes wrong, that Kyoutani’s attitude in the club is not acceptable… He must has been holding back for a long time, considering how much stuff he finds to bitch about.

Kyoutani isn’t a good listener, so he doesn’t remain quiet. He fights back and they end up almost yelling at each other. Yahaba doesn’t back off.

Kyoutani doesn’t know how to properly react, so he keeps arguing.

 

 

Training camp seems to take ages to end. When it finally does, Kyoutani wishes he didn’t have to go back to those impossibly boring classes with Yahaba and his stupid pretty nape in front of him every day. It’s just his luck that their assigned seats didn’t change since last year. As if that wasn’t enough, Yahaba makes sure Kyoutani won’t skip – not that he would actually do it – by fetching him every morning. It’s beyond irritating.

Just like that, Kyoutani resumes being an actual part of the volleyball club. However, nothing’s changed. He’s still an outcast. He still doesn’t fit with the rest of the team. No one’s able to keep up with his pace. And it’s twice as frustrating, because now Oikawa insists that he should practice with Yahaba “just in case Sanada-chan is watching.” Kyoutani points that Ruri has her own club activities to attend and she’s not likely to skip basketball practice to stalk him. Oikawa tells him to not do anything half-assed, which makes him think of what Yahaba told him just a couple of days ago.

Between the walk to school, practice and classes, Kyoutani gets to spend a lot of time with Yahaba. Like… a lot. It is not what he would have expected.

He learns a handful of things about Yahaba in the process. So many that he starts making a list of them.

First, Yahaba is a morning person. On a particularly cold morning, Kyoutani gets dragged out of bed by his father and he would have given anything to stay asleep. He looks like a zombie as he walks outside. Yahaba, however, is already there waiting for him, his hair well combed and with no signs of bags under his eyes or anything that indicates that he’s too tired to function.

“Oh my God.” He blurts out instead of wishing him a good morning. “What is wrong with your face?”

“What is wrong with _your_ face?” Kyoutani snaps, but there is not much bite in it. Not when he finishes the sentence with a long yawn.

“You tie is all crooked. Here, let me…”

Kyoutani usually would flinch – he’d rather die than let another person play with a piece of cloth wrapped around his neck – but this is Yahaba. The guy he fancies/hates. Instead than jumping out of his reach, Kyoutani freezes on the spot and stays completely still as Yahaba carefully fixes his tie.

From behind him, he hears some girls’ voices and he feels Yahaba’s hands tensing up. Two girls wearing Aoba Johsai’s uniforms come out of his building and walk past them. The taller girl is the one talking and she doesn’t even notice them there. The smaller girl is Ruri. She lifts her gaze deliberately avoiding to look at Yahaba or Kyoutani and stomps her way to the sidewalk. Her friend doesn’t notice her annoyance.

“Is that her?” Yahaba asks nervously.

“Yeah…” Kyoutani mutters.

“She’s… cute.”

“Just let’s go to school, okay? And… can we take another way or something?”

The last thing he needs is to awkwardly walk behind Ruri and her friend. Thankfully, Yahaba nods and they take the long way to school. They arrive just in time for morning practice.

 

The second thing he learns is that Yahaba will do anything to please Oikawa. He’s always the last one to leave gym, helping with cleaning even when it’s not his duty day. Sometimes he stays talking to Oikawa until late, so he’s always the last one to hit the showers after practice. He never tries to walk Kyoutani home, because he’s always the last member of the volleyball club to leave school. Sometimes Iwaizumi comments that Yahaba should take a break, but Oikawa tells him to leave him be.

Kyoutani thinks that that is gross.

(Not that he cares that Yahaba is Oikawa’s pushover. Yahaba can kiss whoever’s ass he wants. Kyoutani doesn’t care. Not at all.)

 

The third thing Kyoutani learns about Yahaba is that he never has a proper lunch. They start having lunch together every day – which means that Yahaba turns his desk towards Kyoutani's and bothers him while he’s trying to eat – and not even once Yahaba showed up with actual food. He always brings poorly made sandwiches or yakisoba bread. On the day he has the audacity of bringing cup noodles and a thermos bottle, Kyoutani snaps.

“No wonder you’re so fucking thin! How come you never eat actual food?”

“Shut up.” Yahaba throws a hashi at him. “I don’t have time to cook and nor do my parents, so there is no helping.”

“Good luck eating that with only one hashi.”

Yahaba throws the other hashi at him and waits until Kyoutani is finished with his food to steal his. Kyoutani tries not to die when Yahaba puts _his_ hashis inside his mouth – it is not an indirect kiss, it _is not_ an indirect kiss, it is not…

“But hey. You always have those fancy big lunchboxes. Does your mom cook for you every day?”

“No.” Kyoutani scowls. “I’m not a spoiled brat like you, I cook my own food.”

“Eh? Kyoutani doing cooking? I can’t see that.”

“I don’t care what you see and what you don’t see, you fuck.”

“But your lunch always looks so pretty! It is like the opposite of you!”

“Did you just call me ugly?”

“I called you a mess. Where did you learn how to cook like that?”

“I don’t know, okay? I’ve always cooked for myself, so I guess I got used to it.”

“Oh.”

Yahaba stays silent for a while and Kyoutani thinks he’s finally decided to actually eat during lunch break rather than keep talking useless stuff. However, when Kyoutani looks at him, he notices worry in Yahaba’s furrowed brows – and he doesn’t know when he learned how to read Yahaba so perfectly, he just does – and he realizes that Yahaba is having stupid ideas about Kyoutani’s family situation.

“It is nothing like that!” He groans. “I cook for myself because my old man can’t even fry an egg and my mom is always traveling because of work.”

“Oh. Oh, okay. That makes sense.” He nods. “That must be a little lonely, though. I mean… you don’t get to see your mom much, right?”

“No.” Kyoutani shrugs. “But it’s not big deal. She calls every day, even when she’s busy so… yeah.”

“Did she give you that charm on your backpack?”

His eyes widen. There is, in fact, a small charm on his backpack – a small volleyball shaped keychain that he attached to his backpack’s zipper – that his mother brought to him from her trip to Tokyo. But…

“How the fuck do you know that?”

“So she did?” Yahaba grins. “I noticed that you treasure it. You've never taken it from there, even when you stopped coming to practice. I figured it was something important, maybe that someone you like very much gave it to you.”

The fact that Yahaba watches him enough to know even those small details makes Kyoutani’s stomach do somersaults.

“I thought that something like this was too sappy for a guy like you, but turns out I was right.” Yahaba continues. “You’re nothing like you look, Kyoutani.”

Kyoutani demands to know what that is supposed to mean in a roar, but he’s only trying to mask the nervousness that makes his heart flutter.

 

And, apparently, Kyoutani is not the only one who is more than he looks. The fourth thing that he learns about Yahaba is that he is nothing like Kyoutani thought.

After their tragic first conversation – when Kyoutani panicked and told Yahaba to get the hell out of his school – Yahaba simply never talked to Kyoutani again. Kyoutani always thought it was because Yahaba was intimidated or even scared of him. Why wouldn’t he think that? It happened before and it was already a pattern to be followed: Kyoutani met a pretty person. He yelled at the pretty person. The pretty person was terrified for life.

Shigeru Yahaba is many things, but afraid of Kyoutani isn’t one of them. That becomes clear during Spring high.  

Kyoutani is angry and frustrated. Even though he actually bothered to show up for practice, even though the trained, he worked hard… Nobody understands him. Nobody follows his pace. Their opponents are damn annoying and Kyoutani makes mistakes out of frustration. He sends the ball to outside the court. He misses the blocks. Watari insists on patting him on the back and telling that he’ll get the next one, but it isn’t true. He knows that he’s playing like shit. And that angers him more than anything else.

The coach asks him to leave the court and puts a bratty first year instead. As Kyoutani walks closer, all of the players make way for him, as if they are too scared to stay near him.

All of them, but one.

“You need to get back into it soon,” Yahaba says. “There won’t be another chance.”

The last thing Kyoutani wants is to talk to Yahaba, so he simply mutters: “So annoying... Who cares about that?”

“You dug your own grave by letting the opponent’s provocations get to your head. That sucks.”

Kyoutani shoots him a glare. “Hah?”

“Think about it. You, who plays without caring about anything at all, can still so easily get a spot on the court. There are plenty of other people who are dissatisfied with this situation, myself included. However… Oikawa said you have been practicing. And I can see that as well.”

Kyoutani doesn’t have an answer for that, so he remains silent. He didn’t expect anybody to notice that he’s been trying his best to fit in. He didn’t want anybody to know how much he cared about a stupid sport. Yahaba, nonetheless, doesn’t need an answer.

“Maybe we’re too cold. Whether it’s out attitudes toward you or your attitude toward us.” Yahaba comments and he’s absolutely right. Kyoutani has never felt truly part of the team. The team never seemed to accept him either. “But this doesn’t matter. Someone who can help the team win will be put on the court. Right now you have been chosen. Then go out there and do what you want to accomplish.”

Maybe Kyoutani is wrong, but… is Yahaba trying to cheer him up?

Yahaba lets out a heavy sigh and lets his shoulders slump as if he got tired of speaking.

“Actually… Well, this was just all for show.”

And it happens so fast that Kyoutani has no idea of how it did happen. On one moment, they are standing side by side talking. On the other, he’s being thrown against the wall violently. Yahaba’s fists grip tightly on his shirt, keeping him in place and it is surprisingly heavy. Kyoutani doesn’t think he’d be able to squirm himself free.

“This is a very important moment for the senpais.” Yahaba hisses. “If you dare go out there and screw around, I won’t let it slide.”

Kyoutani is only able to stay there, wide eyed, for a long moment until he finally finds his voice:

“And here I thought you were just some carefree guy…”

“You aren’t exactly wrong about that,” Yahaba answers and lets go of him. “But no matter how carefree I am, I still respect out upperclassmen. As long as you’re on the court, it doesn’t matter if you score or lose the point, because you’re with the team. So…” Yahaba turns his back to him. “Please, lend us some of your strength.”

They stay in silent after that. They don’t look at each other anymore. But Yahaba gave Kyoutani some things to think about. As he goes back to the court, he remembers something an old man told him in one of the many places he went to practice while he was away from the club.

 _Please, lend us some of your strength_ , Yahaba had said. Kyoutani was always frustrated because the team could never keep up with him… but what if _he_ tried to keep up with the team?

 

Kyoutani fits in. For the first time, he knows how it feels like to be part of a team.

(It is frustratingly short, though, because, by that time, it’s too late. They lose.)

(Kyoutani is the first one to leave and he stops on his way home to play with a stray puppy. Maybe because he’s waiting for someone. It isn’t long until he hears footsteps that shouldn’t be so familiar.)

“Kyoutani.”

Yahaba’s voice is clear and collected, but Kyoutani doesn’t even need to turn around completely to see the dissatisfaction in his eyes. Yahaba is just as disgruntled as Kyoutani.

“Next year… Let’s get revenge.”

Kyoutani grunts and nods. Yahaba nods back.

(They don’t say anything else as they walk together all the way home.)

 


	4. Kyoutani's struggle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyoutani starts to get his shit together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... It's been over a year since the last update. Why, you ask? I kinda forgot this fic had been published. I have a couple of chapters ready, really, I just... forgot it was here and people were perhaps waiting for me to publish the next chapter.  
> So shout out to AO3 user CatLover0 that was brave enough to leave a comment on a fic that hasn't been updated in 15 months, because the notification of your comment made me realize this fic needed an update.  
> If there is anyone still interested... here you go.

It’s with great remorse and painful bitterness that Kyoutani admits to himself: he misses Ruri.

It’s not like he’s alone or anything. The third years had finally retired and, although he misses Iwaizumi-senpai, it’s been almost fun to go to practice lately. Most first string players are as wary of him as ever, but Watari is there. Some of the players seem to be getting used to him. Some of them start talking to him after watching Yahaba yell at him once or twice. Kyoutani guesses that the Kunimi kid is okay too, since he doesn’t look terrified (or fazed at all) by Kyoutani.

And then there is Yahaba. Yahaba, who was voted as the new captain and who always tosses to Kyoutani during practice. Yahaba, who never seems scared or uncomfortable around Kyoutani, telling him to fuck off at least once a day. Yahaba, who turns his desk to Kyoutani’s everyday so they can have lunch together. Kyoutani knows they’re pretending to be dating in case Ruri is watching, but… it feels like they’re nearly friends at this point.

That being said, being lonely isn’t Kyoutani’s problem. Hell, he has plenty of friends – for his standards, at least.

But it’s not about quantity. It’s about how none of his new friends is Ruri.

He likes her, god damn it, and she’s been in his life since forever. Of course he would miss her.

That doesn’t change the fact the he brought this on his own. When Ruri confessed, he was terrified because he did never – he could never – think of her as anything but his best friend. He was scared that telling her that would ruin their relationship, so he ran away. Isn’t it stupid that his own cowardice resulted in the thing he feared the most?

A week passes after their shameful loss and Kyoutani hasn’t seen Ruri since the fatidic day in which she saw Yahaba fixing his tie. As much as he appreciates having Yahaba around – he could never have imagined being this close of Yahaba Shigeru and he still thinks he’s dreaming – he wonders if this whole fake-boyfriends thing wasn’t a huge mistake. Maybe it’s making things worse.

What is he supposed to do about it, then? If he talks to Ruri… What is he going to tell her?

As Kyoutani walks past Ruri’s classroom on his way to P.E. he tries to take a peek and see if she’s there – just to see if she looks healthy and happy. Kyoutani can’t find her. He lets out an annoyed huff.

By his side, Yahaba gives him a weird look.

“So… Can I ask you something?”

“No.”

“What is the deal with that girl? Sanada, isn’t it?”

“That is none of your business.”

“Of course it is my business. I’m playing an important role here, remember? What if this girl is some kind of crazy stalker that might burn down my house because….”

“Shut the fuck up!” Kyoutani snaps. “You don’t know anything about her, so shut your stupid trap!”

Yahaba blinks, looking surprised for the first time. There is a feeling in his brown eyes that Kyoutani can’t quite name. “You like her.”

“No, I don’t, that is the problem!”

There is no response. Kyoutani thinks Yahaba will leave him be, but then he feels Yahaba’s eyes following every little movement. He lifts his gaze and confirms Yahaba is still staring. Kyoutani lets out a groan, fully aware that this nosey bastard won’t leave him alone until he gets his answer.

“She’s my friend, alright? We’ve known each other since we were brats.”

“Oh. And she won’t give up even though you honestly rejected her? Not even for the sake of your friendship?”

Kyoutani avoids his gaze.

“I… haven’t rejected her yet.”

“What do you mean?” Yahaba frowns and, when he does that, his nose gets a little scrunched in the most adorable way. It’s disgusting to look at.

“I mean that it’s a pain in the ass, alright?”

“You… You haven’t given her a proper answer? Kyoutani, you’re the worst!”

“Just shut up!”

“No!” Yahaba looks absolutely bewildered. “I thought this girl was one of those unreasonable people unable to respect boundaries, but turns out you were the one being an asshole!”

Kyoutani doesn’t mind fighting Yahaba. In fact, one of the main reasons why he likes Yahaba is because he’s always ready for a fight and not even once he’s appeared to be scared of Kyoutani. Nonetheless, he really hates it that Yahaba sometimes can be an annoying know-it-all.

“Why don’t you take care of your own fucking business?”

Yahaba stops walking, his face flushing.

“Fine! I will! Then just go to class on your own!”

“Hah? It’s not like I need you to walk me anywhere!”

“Great!”

“Great!”

“  _Great_!”

Yahaba turns around and stomps toward another way. Their classmates had started walking faster when the two of them started throwing hisses at each other – because they’re used to it at this point – and that’s how Kyoutani finds himself standing alone in the middle of the hallway.

He feels something bitter on the back of his throat, because it’s been a while since he and Yahaba had a fight like this – one that actually  felt like a real fight rather than teasing and annoying each other – and he had kind of forgotten how bad he would hurt afterwards.

Kyoutani feels like shit as he changes into his P.E. uniform in the locker room – and that says something, since P.E. is his favorite class ever.Everyone avoids staying too close to him because he’s glaring daggers at nothing. The fact that he isn’t talking to Ruri and now Yahaba is mad at him makes him more upset than he’s willing to admit.

(And the worst part is that he thinks Yahaba is right.)

He isn’t dealing with this properly. It is true that he cannot see Ruri as anything but his weird friend. Despite that – and he would never say that out loud – she is part of his life. And an awfully important part.

He slams his locker door closed in frustration and pieces of his uniform, that he carelessly shoved there, stick outside.

Groaning, he has to get the door open again to fix it. Most of his classmates are already gone or leaving, so there is no one to watch as Kyoutani angrily turns his uniform into a ball of clothes. He slams dunk the clothes there again and lets out an annoyed snarl when the movement made he think of basketball and basketball makes him think of Ruri. The ball of uniform bounces against the locker wall and rolls lifelessly to the floor. Defeated, Kyoutani lets out a heavy sigh and lets himself slide down to the floor.

He really fucked up, didn’t he?

Kyoutani looks at the inside of his locker as if expecting it to give him some answers. It remains silent, his backpack poorly cramped inside. At this point, he wishes to call his mother and ask her for advice, but he would feel impossibly stupid calling her because he can’t deal with his own friends. His gaze looks for the charm she gave him years ago when he decided to join the volleyball club after watching a few matches with his father – having it with him makes him feel close to his mother, even when she was traveling.

Except that now he can’t find it.

His stomach drops and Kyoutani jumps on his feet.  It isn’t there. The special volleyball keychain that his mother gave him, that he held dear for many years as a lucky charm, is gone.

“No… no, no, no, no!” He takes the backpack from the locker and shakes it.

Nothing falls from it. He runs his fingers through the empty locker, as if his hands will find something that his eyes can’t, but it’s useless. It isn’t there.

Kyoutani panics and runs out of the locker room without even bothering to pick up his uniform.  He rushes back to the classroom, desperately trying to find it on the hallway floor . It is not there. He power walks between the desks, bumping on them and knocking over his classmates’ belongings, but he pays no attention to that. Kyoutani tries to remember the last time he saw his charm.

He doesn’t remember. It is not there. Not on his desk. Not on anyone’s desk. Not on the floor. Not in the classroom.

Desperate, Kyoutani makes his way to the locker room again. If he can’t find it there, where could it be? Did it fall in his bedroom? On the way to school? How the fuck would he find it?

Kyoutani harshly opens the door, but he retracts when he’s greeted by the sight of Shigeru Yahaba’s bare chest as he tries to put on his P.E. shorts.

Yahaba yelps and tries to cover himself, though it only causes him to stumble and fall on his ass, which is currently covered by only a ridiculous pair of briefs with a rubber duck pattern.

With a wave of shock, Kyoutani realizes that he’s never seen Yahaba naked. Not even once. And that is absolutely weird, considering that they have been in the volleyball club for almost two whole years now. He also perceives that he was wrong, so wrong, in all the times he teased Yahaba for being skinny.

Yahaba is just the perfect combination of slender and muscular: not too bulky, but the muscles are definitely there under the pale skin. From his sweet collarbones to the pectoral to the hard line of his abdomen and then the dark pattern around his navel that…

Wait, why the hell Yahaba has a dark drawing around his bellybutton?

It takes Kyoutani a while before he realizes that it is a tattoo.

It is a tattoo.

What the fuck.

 _What the fuck_!

“What  _the hell_ is that?”

“What the hell are  _you_?” Yahaba snarls, his face growing unevenly redder. “I mean, why aren’t you in class?”

“Why do you have a tattoo?”

Yahaba tries to cover it with his hands and fails miserably. “I don’t have a tattoo.”

“Yes, you do, it’s right there!” Kyoutani points.

“Shut up! It is not!”

It is a graceful tree with dark green leaves along curly branches that starts right above Yahaba’s navel and goes all the way down to his right hipbone and even deeper down his shorts. Kyoutani wonders where the tree’s roots are located and he is mostly sure that he’d die to find out. Suddenly he understands why Yahaba always stays late for practice. It wasn’t because he wanted to please Oikawa. He just didn’t want to undress in front of anyone.

Yahaba picks his t-shirt up from the floor and tries to put it on too fast. He gets stuck and Kyoutani gets to stare at the stupid tree stretching and shrinking as Yahaba struggles and finally gets himself covered.  Kyoutani swallows hard.

“What are you even  _doing_ here?  You have class to attend!”

There is a second of confusion before Kyoutani is able to get himself back on his feet. Right. His good luck charm.  He needs to find it as soon as possible.

“I… I lost something, so I came back hereto see if I could find it.”

“Oh.”

Awkward silence lingers between them. Suddenly, Kyoutani remembers that they’re technically in the middle of a fight. Shit.

“So… did you find it?”

“No, I didn’t.”

Yahaba seems taken aback by Kyoutani’s tone.

“Can’t you buy a new one?” He asks tentatively, even though he seems to know the answer already.

“It’s the charm my mom gave me.”

Yahaba stares at him for a long moment, his face unreadable. Finally he adjusts his clothing and asks: “Where have you last seen it?”

“I don’t know…? I remember I was fiddling with it on the way to school, but I put it away in my backpack before class, I think.”

“It must have fallen from your bag when you were not paying attention,” Yahaba says and picks up his own backpack. He closes his locker without putting it away. “Let’s go look for it.”

“Wha- we have  _class_.”, Kyoutani protests.

“No one will notice if we skip. And it’s the last class anyway, we can go straight home.”

Kyoutani gapes, wondering how the hell prim and proper Mr. Perfect is so comfortable with the idea of skipping classes. That doesn’t fit Yahaba’s neat hair and uniform. It does, however, fit the way Yahaba is always down to fight Kyoutani.

He bites his lower lip, hesitating as Yahaba waits for him by the door with his backpack slung over his shoulder. Regardless of the rumors running around about him, Kyoutani is no delinquent. He doesn’t simply choose not to go to class if he isn’t sick or anything. He did skip club activities for several months, but missing an actual class…

“Are you coming of not?”

“You don’t have to skip class for me.”

“You’re right, I don’t have to do anything. But I fucking want to.”

Kyoutani holds a gasp. It feels so weird to hear Yahaba swearing. He doesn’t get to say anything back, though, because Yahaba is already stepping outside. Without any other option, Kyoutani crouches down to pick up his uniform, quickly shoves his belongings in his backpack and runs after Yahaba.

The fucker is almost by the gates when Kyoutani catches up with him.

“Why?” Kyoutani asks.

“Why what?” Yahaba retorts, sounding annoyed.

“Why are you going out of your way to help me find a stupid charm?”

Yahaba stops walking to glare at Kyoutani looking so offended that it would be funny if it wasn’t scary.

“Because I am your friend, you asshat!” He snarls.

Kyoutani doesn’t say anything because what the hell is he supposed to say? One thing is to think to himself that he and Yahaba are finally in friendly terms, as weird as it sounds. Another is Yahaba saying loud and clear that they are friends.

After a moment of silence, Yahaba mumbles, “Even though you don’t feel the same way, apparently.”

And Kyoutani panics.  _How does he know?_ Even though the weeks of friendship had done nothing to stop Kyoutani’s giant crush, he’s fairly sure that he didn’t show any signs that he likes Yahaba as anything other than a friend. Hell, he’s starting to think that he didn’t show any signs that he might like Yahaba at all – Watari and Ruri always commented that Kyoutani’s way of showing affection is unusual.

Is Yahaba calling him out?

(Wouldn’t it be ironic, though? Losing Ruri’s friendship, because he can’t fall in love with her and then losing Yahaba’s friendship because Kyoutani can never be just friends with him?)

“W-what do you mean?” He stutters, his face warming up.

“Nothing.” Yahaba pouts and avoids Kyoutani’s eyes. “Just let’s go find your charm.”

And then there is that. Who gave this asshole the right? He has the nerve—the audacity…! Kyoutani is so angry at how pretty Yahaba is. He is pouting, for crying out loud! He should look obnoxious! But no!! He looks desperately cute! He can’t even blame Kyoutani for crushing on him, honestly.

Kyoutani swallows hard, trying to regain his composure as he calls, all stern looks and deep frowns:

“Yahaba.”

Yahaba hesitates for a second. Then he sighs and admits: “You said your problems are none of my business. Even though I’m fucking helping you with them by being you fake boyfriend, which, by the way, you’re welcome. And—”

“Stop,” Kyoutani cuts him off, “saying the work fuck. It sounds mad weird coming from you.”

Yahaba glares at him and slowly, very deliberately enunciates: “F-u-c-k.”

Kyoutani rolls his eyes, but he can’t help the relief that fills his chest. Yahaba doesn’t know about his massive dumb crush, after all.

“Are you seriously mad because I don’t want to talk about Ruri?”

“I am not mad. I don’t care.” He’s pouting again. “I was just annoyed that we’ve been pretending to date for weeks now and I still don’t really know why.”

Yahaba starts walking again. Kyoutani follows him after a moment of hesitation. He wonders if he’s going to figure out how to fix this.

“I think you’re right,” he finally mumbles.

“What?” Yahaba gapes at him.

“I said,” Kyoutani restates, louder this time, “that you’re right. I’m the worst for not giving Ruri a proper response. I just…” He gestures vaguely, frustrated.

“Don’t know how to do it?” Yahaba finishes for him.

Ashamed, Kyoutani nods.

“That’s lame,” Yahaba says, mercilessly. “I don’t care about your reasons, but the fact that you have to think about it it’s just rude to her. You should just be honest.”

“Shut up! I know that!”

“If you know…”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m going to talk to her as soon as I can. Are you happy? Or are you going to keep being a pain in the ass?”

“Good. Now can we go back to looking?”

They make all the way back to Kyoutani's neighborhood checking every centimeter of sidewalk ahead of them. Yahaba even asks some people if they’ve seen it.

By then, some people are staring at them and Kyoutani realizes it is because they’re high schoolers – they’re both in their P.E. uniform, for crying out loud – obviously skipping class. If someone catches them, they will be so, so screwed.

After walking around for a while, Yahaba decides to go back to double check, but Kyoutani stops him.

“It’s fine,” he grunts. “We’re probably not going to find it anymore.”

“But it’s important to you!” Yahaba insists.

“It’s just a dumb charm. It’s almost time to go home anyway and it’s going to rain soon. Let’s just go, okay?”

Yahaba opens and closes his mouth, prone to argue as always, but out of arguments. Kyoutani takes the opportunity to make an about-face and leave. Yahaba doesn’t go after him and, for once, Kyoutani is grateful for it. He ignores the smart part of him that wants Yahaba to insist, because his reasonable part knows it’s time to give up.

Besides, he needs a couple of hours to properly mope and figure out what to do about… well. Everything.


	5. Yahaba's determination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yahaba isn't one to give up easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Ruri a whole lot more than I predicted, so here.

The look in Kyoutani’s eyes when he said he had lost his lucky charm had left a bitter taste in Yahaba’s mouth. He had never seen Kyoutani look so sad before - he’d grown used to Kyoutani angry all the time to the point he started listing all the types of anger. First, Yahaba knew when Kyoutani was annoyed and he could tease him about it. Second, he knew when Kyoutani was truly pissed and he had to get him to calm down. Third, he knew when Kyoutani was just pretending to be angry to hide the fact that he was embarrassed.

But that sadness? Disappointment and nervousness? That was a first.

Of course, Yahaba would offer to help. He and Kyoutani had become friends against all odds and Yahaba wasn’t one to abandon his friends when they were in need. It killed him to hear the defeated tone of voice Kyoutani used when he told Yahaba to give up and let it go.

He _wouldn’t_ let it go. Yahaba Shigeru wasn’t one to give up. Not when he had to watch Kyoutani’s broad shoulders slumping as he walked away.

He turns his back to the train station and makes his way back to the school, ignoring the looks he gets for being obviously skipping classes. He didn’t mind the looks that much. After all, it wasn’t the first time he got them. Yahaba makes a note not to make a habit out of his again nonetheless. This is just because he wants to help Kyoutani.

Part of him tells him he’s being unreasonable and he’s doomed to fail. Remembering the expression in Kyoutani’s eyes makes him keep moving forward, his eyes scanning the sidewalk for any signs of the damned charm. Kyoutani is supposed to be his rival, damn it, Yahaba can’t let him go around looking beaten by that.

As he gets closer to Aoba Johsai, students start walking past him. He gets more looks for going back when it’s obviously going home time. Luckily enough, he doesn’t see any close acquaintance, so no one asks him what he is doing.

And then starts raining.

Yahaba glares at the sky as if he can will the weather to change with his pout alone. A raindrop falls straight into his right eye, making him curse and sigh.

What is he doing?

“Hm. Yahaba-kun?”

He turns to find two girls from the girl’s volleyball club staring at him hesitantly. Under the umbrella they share, they seem intimidated for some reason. It’s been a couple of years since the last time someone looked intimidated by Yahaba. He schools his frustrated expression into something more polite as he struggles to remember their names.

“Sakurai-san, Yamada-san,” he says as gently as he manages.

They seem encouraged by that. Sakurai smiles at him.

“Is everything alright? Did you forget your umbrella?”

“Yes, something like that.” Yahaba rubs his own nape. “Well, I’m actually looking for something, so if you excuse me…”

“Ah!” Yamada says. “Yahaba-kun, could it be that you’re looking for a keychain?”

Yahaba freezes. “Yeah, it’s a volleyball keychain. Did you…?”

“Makita-chan found a keychain like that next to our classroom early! She thought it belonged to a member of the volleyball club and asked us if it was ours and- Ah!” She lets out a squeak when Yahaba suddenly walks closer, eager.

“Who’s Makita? Is she still at school?”

“Sh-she…” Yamada blushes. “She has club activities today, s-so… I guess? She’s from the chess club.”

Yahaba smiles brightly at the girls. He could have hugged both of them. “Thank you so much, Yamada-san, Sakurai-san, I owe you!”

As he turns to run back to school, praying that none of the teachers will notice him, he distinctly hears one of the girls gasping while the other wails “as expected from Oikawa-san’s kouhai!”, whatever that means. Yahaba pays them no mind, desperately trying to remember where the hell the chess club is.

Turns out Makita is a frail girl, short enough to barely reach Yahaba’s elbows, that screams when she sees him. However, her scream might have something to do with the fact that Yahaba all but kicked the door open on his way to the chess club, when he barged in calling out her name, interrupting about five ongoing chess matches. She calms down when Yahaba hurriedly explains why he’s there. When she hands him the small keychain, Yahaba gives her his brightest smile, trying to compensate for his odd behaviour and the girl flushes profusely.

Oh well. No time to worry about that. This has to be it and he has to take it to Kyoutani as fast as possible.

The rain outside is light. Yahaba did forget his umbrella at home, but he hesitates only for a brief moment before walking out. It’s not raining hard enough to stop him and Kyoutani lives within walking distance.

The path is familiar now that he's walking Kyoutani to school everyday. He lets his feet carry him without thinking much. Which is a good thing, because the rain gets worse as he progresses, lowering visibility and forcing him to run staring at the ground so he doesn't slip.

When he turns around the corner to finally reach the building where Kyoutani lives, he all but runs over a girl, making her stumble and drop the pile of books she's carrying and the umbrella she's precariously balancing on her shoulders.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry, I’m-” Yahaba stops to a halt.

The person he almost knocked over is no one less than the infamous Sanada Ruri.

“Goddamnit,” she hisses, unconcerned with Yahaba as she hurries to pick up her books.

Right. Not the time to worry about useless stuff. Yahaba starts picking them up as quickly as he manages, because that’s the least he can do.

“I’m sorry,” he repeats meekly.

When Sanada turns her glare at him, there is death in her eyes. Being Kyoutani’s classmate, Yahaba is used to threatening stares on a daily basis, but he thought he had controlled his instincts, since he doesn’t tense up for a fight when Kyoutani gets annoyed anymore. When the girl looks like she’s about to break Yahaba’s teeth, however, Yahaba realizes he’s only relaxed around Kyoutani because he knows Kyoutani is a mushy nerd who would never hurt him. Sanada, on the other hand…

“What are you doing here?” She asks, forcing her voice to sound deeper.

Yahaba purses his lips for a second, willing himself not tease her about it. He isn’t there to pick up a fight. He doesn’t fight people anymore. And he certainly isn’t about to tease Kyoutani’s best friend into throwing the first punch.

“I came to see Kyoutani,” he says as evenly as he manages.

“Are you serious?” She pulls a disgusted face. “You two are together all the time at school and that’s not enough, somehow?”

Yahaba scowls. “I have something that belongs to him. I thought he’d want it back.”

“Couldn’t you give it to him tomorrow?”

Yahaba opens his mouth to retort. Sanada didn’t have to see the desolated look in Kyoutani’s eyes. Of course she wouldn’t understand Yahaba’s urge. And yes, he could have texted Kyoutani that he had the charm with him, but he _needed_ to see with his own eyes that- Well, and why is he struggling to explain that to the girl that is trying to steal his (fake) boyfriend, anyway? When and how he meets Kyoutani is none of her business. Yahaba ends up just making an annoyed noise.

“It’s important, alright?” And he stomps towards the building.

He almost waltz inside without cleaning his feet on the mat, but looking down he realizes it doesn’t make any difference. The light rain had soaked him when he wasn’t paying attention. He hears Sanada closing her umbrella somewhere by his left as he cringes with the realization that he’s going to drip water all the way to Kyoutani’s apartment, which is…

Yahaba doesn’t know the floor in which Kyoutani lives.

“Huh.” Yahaba turns to Sanada. “You wouldn’t be willing to guide me to Kyoutani’s apartment, would you?”

She stares at him as if he just asked her to go out and dance in the rain.

“You’re not serious,” she says.

“Fine, be a jerk, then,” Yahaba huffs. “I’m going to knock on every door until I find out.”

He heads to the elevator. He already made this far, he isn’t going home before he returns this goddamn charm.

“Jesus, fine!” Sanada rushes to his side. “He’s my next-door  neighbour, just follow me.”

He cocks an eyebrow, but he has too much experience with Kyoutani to say something. He had heard from Watari and Oikawa-senpai that Sanada was but a carbon copy of Kyoutani, but he guesses he didn’t fully grasp the meaning of that until he talked to the girl herself. Kyoutani, too, has the habit of acting reluctant and unwilling when someone asks him to do a favor, but he jumps to action as soon as it becomes clear they’re about to do it without his help.

“What are you grinning about?” Sanada snarls, punching the elevator button.

“Nothing,” Yahaba says, quickly schooling his expression into something neutral and staring straight ahead. There is no reason to antagonize her.

He feels more than he sees the way Sanada is not so discreetly trying to take a good look by the corner of her eyes. He doesn’t say anything nor acknowledges the stare, he just waits. As soon as the elevator doors open with a concerning noise, Sanada breaks.

“Are you really dating Kentarou? Like… romantically dating?”

Right. Kyoutani decided to be a jerk instead of talking to her straightforwardly. Yahaba feels like a jerk himself, because this girl is seriously in love with Kyoutani. It must have taken guts to confess to him honestly and she deserved better than being ignored by the boy she likes. Despite himself, Yahaba nods. He didn’t lie when he said he doesn’t do anything half-assed and it’s not his place to tell her about Kyoutani’s true feelings.

“I didn’t think…” She steps into the elevator avoiding Yahaba’s eyes. She seems to be struggling with the right words. “I didn’t think a guy like you would like him.”

“A guy like me?” Yahaba cocks an eyebrow. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“You _know.”_ She takes a glance at him and huffs impatiently. “What do you like about him?”

This… is not how Yahaba expected to spend his afternoon. He frowns at Sanada, considering her question. He doesn’t know if he should be having this conversation with a (fake) love rival, but… well. She _is_ Kyoutani’s best friend. If Yahaba’s best friend suddenly started dating some stranger, he’d get suspicious and protective too. But then again _he_ doesn’t owe Sanada anything. Kyoutani was the one that fucked up and-

Yahaba sighs. This is getting too complicated for his liking.

“I just… like him, okay?” Yahaba says. “He’s… nice.”

“Nice,” Sanada parrots without inflection.

Yahaba doesn’t know why he feels so affronted. It’s not like he has real romantic feelings for Kyoutani, so he shouldn’t be this offended that she doubts him. However something about the way she says “a guy like you” makes him feel challenged. As if she’s daring him to show how much he cares for Kyoutani, or she herself is going to make sure he won’t hurt her precious friend. Yahaba locks his eyes on hers, making sure his voice doesn’t waver as he tells her:

“Yes, he is nice. He looks rough, but he’s actually really sweet. He’s a nerd who’d bring home all the stray dogs in the world if his dad let him and he keeps a lucky charm his mother gave to him. He’s determined and hardworking and he’s _really_ socially awkward, but that’s what’s adorable about him.” Yahaba pauses to breathe, feeling his face flush. “Of course I like him! What’s there not to like?”

Yahaba’s heated speech astonishes Sanadai into silence. She stares at him for several seconds, her brow furrowed and her lips slightly parted. When the elevator stops with a loud ding, she jumps with a startle.

“Huh, that’s… okay,” she says.

“Okay?” Yahaba repeats, frowning.

“Yeah, just… Damn.” She lets out a sigh. “It’s just that Kentarou had this stupid crush on you since forever, but we thought you hated him or some shit. I didn’t know what your intentions with him were or…”

“He misses you,” Yahaba blurts.

Sanada’s eyes grow as round as two coins, her mouth still hanging open mid-sentence. She closes it and opens it several times, letting out strangled stammering sounds before she manages to form an actual question.

“The _fuck_ you mean he misses me?” She snarls. “Fuck, do you know why Kentarou and I are not talking?”

“You confessed to him,” Yahaba says. “And he ran away like a wimp instead of turning you down properly. And now he regrets it, because he misses you.”

Sanada grows indignant of shock. “And? You’re saying your _boyfriend_ misses a girl that _likes him?”_

“Well, you said it yourself. He’s my boyfriend,” Yahaba deadpans. “But he’s your friend. I know he fucked up, but your friendship is important to him.”

“Well, he has a funny way of showing!” She barks. “I thought he would probably reject me even before I found out he was dating you, I’m not really his type.” She gestures vaguely at Yahaba to prove her point. “But I didn’t expect him to act like an actual _baby!”_

“I know!” Yahaba rolls his eyes. “I was so mad at him when he told me! _Especially_ because I know he still want to be friends with you!”

Sanada lets out an annoyed huff and says nothing for a moment. Finally she raises her eyes to Yahaba with a serious expression.

“I was wrong about you. You’re tougher than you look. Maybe Kentarou is the one that doesn’t deserve you.”

Yahaba blinks, oddly touched.

Finally, he smiles. “Thank you, Sanada.”

Her shoulders are tense as if she’s holding back her hurt, but she manages to smile back.

The emotional moment lasts a little too long and only then Yahaba realizes something’s wrong.

“Hum. Why are we still in the elevator?”

Sanada blinks and then turns to the closed doors, confused, as if she doesn’t understand it either. Then she lets out an annoyed sound and pushes her pile of books onto Yahaba.

“Fuck, not right now!” She complains, trying to pry the doors open. “This shitty elevator… Sometimes it gets stuck.”

She looks more annoyed than frightened, so Yahaba doesn’t panic just yet. Instead, he adjusts the books on his arms and asks, “It gets stuck?”

“Yeah, the doors… It should open from the outside.” She sighs. “For the record, your boyfriend hasn’t taken the elevator for years because he’s scared shitless of getting stuck here.”

Yahaba snorts. “Of course he is. How do we get out, though?”

“My folks are not home, so I can’t ask them. Unless…” She considers the _doors_  a little more and finally fishes something from her pocket. Her phone. “Huh. I wonder how he’ll react.”

“Sanada? What are you doing?”

“Getting us out of here,” she says as she types something. “Just wait.”

“Who did you text?”

“Kentarou,” she says simply. “He’s been ignoring my texts since… Well. I haven’t texted him since I found out about you anyway. Let’s see if he keeps ignoring me when he finds out I have his innocent boyfriend stuck with me in the elevator.”

“Sanada, that’s-”

“No. Just wait.”

She seems to know what she’s doing, so Yahaba waits. He feels like he should be more worried about being stuck in an old elevator, but there’s not much he can do anyway, so he settles down to wait.

Right before the silence becomes awkward, they hear. Steps. Heavy, quick steps getting closer and closer and then a loud bark muffled by the elevator doors:

“ _RURI_!”

“Oh my God,” she says bitterly. “Here he is.”

“ _Ruri_!” Kyoutani yells again from the other side. “ _Are you really there? Are you okay?”_

“Christ, Kentarou, I’m _fine,_ just open the damn door.”

Kyoutani lets out a panicked noise when he hears Sanada’s voice. They hear more shuffling outside.

“Why, _why_ would you take this thing?” Kyoutani grunts. “Just take the goddamn stairs, you lazy little shit!”

Sanada rolls her eyes at Yahaba as if she’s saying _can you believe this guy?_ Yahaba can’t believe they’re already at the rolling-eyes-at-each-other level of friendship. He doesn’t have the time to think about it, though, because he’s distracted by the sight of Kyoutani Kentarou prying the elevator doors with his bare hands. Yahaba gasps loudly and not because the doors make noise and come back to life, finally fully opening.

Kyoutani reaches out to Ruri as if he intends to bodily pull her out of the elevator when his eyes land on Yahaba and he takes a step back.

“You’re here,” he says. “Why are you here?”

“I told you he was here,” Sanada says.

“I thought you were lying to get my attention,” Kyoutani tells her and then turns back to Yahaba. “And you’re _wet._ What the fuck, Yahaba?”

Sanada narrows her eyes, but not before Yahaba sees the hurt in her expression. He feels conflicted. He thinks he should tell her it’s not like that between him and Kyoutani, so there is no reason for her to be jealous. But what good would that make? Kyoutani won’t return her feelings either way.

Besides - and that thought startles him - he _doesn’t want_ to tell Sanada there is nothing between him and Kyoutani. He feels like it’s a loss to do so, somehow.

“See you around, Yahaba,” Sanada says suddenly, taking her books from him without ceremony.

She bumps on Kyoutani on her way out, but says nothing to him. The boys watch her go in silence until the elevator makes another noise. Yahaba gasps and jumps out of it at the same time Kyoutani grabs him by the shoulder and pulls him out.

“What are you doing here?” Kyoutani asks again.

“I found your charm,” Yahaba tells him.

Kyoutani  doesn’t seem to understand what Yahaba just said for a moment. He just stares blankly at him. Yahaba waits. When Kyoutani finally recovers the ability to speak, he doesn’t look particularly grateful, but he sounds oddly dull.

“You were looking for my charm,” he deadpans. “In the rain.”

It’s not really a question, but Yahaba answers it nonetheless. “It started raining when I was going back to school, but yes.”

“Just… _What are you, a shoujo love interest?”_

“Why are you angry? Don’t you want it back?”

“Get inside,” Kyoutani barks, pushing Yahaba to the end of the corridor.

Yahaba lets him. He didn’t realize before, but he was feeling really tired after all of that running. Tired enough to let Kyoutani drag him to his apartment without complaining.

Yahaba doesn’t know what he expected - maybe some sort of man cave - but Kyoutani’s place is surprisingly tidy. Not too much decor, simple furniture and everything seems to be in place.

Kyoutani’s room, however, looks more like the stereotypical high school boy bedroom. There are a few volleyball posters on the walls, school books scattered over a desk, the bed is unmade. Yahaba feels more comfortable in there.

“You’re such a dumbass,” Kyoutani grunts as he looks for something in his wardrobe. “Running around in the rain like this…”

Yahaba scowls, but Kyoutani doesn’t see. Instead, he throws a towel at his face.

“I couldn’t just go home,” Yahaba says. “You were- Well, I knew it was important to you, alright?”

He almost had said that he couldn’t stand the desolated look in Kyoutani’s eyes, but he’s pretty sure Kyoutani wouldn’t have appreciated that. He hates showing weakness. Yahaba knows him well enough not to say something that would only upset him.

“You’re an idiot,” Kyoutani tells him as he hands him a plain T-shirt and sweatpants.

Yahaba rolls his eyes and fishes the charm from his pocket, trading it for the dry clothes. Kyoutani accepts it and stares at the small charm as if it’s the first time he’s ever seen it.

There’s a short moment of silence before Kyoutani mutters a shy, “thank you.”

Yahaba wasn’t expecting that. He feels the need to turn away, his face burning. Sometimes Kyoutani makes his stomachs do somersaults and it’s not a feeling he quite knows how to deal with.

He’s about to ask where the bathroom is - out of habit, he’s not trying to run away - when he realizes there’s no reason to hide from Kyoutani. Kyoutani has already seen his biggest secret, so why does it matter?

Yahaba starts stripping his wet uniform where he is. Behind him, Kyoutani coughs awkwardly. Yahaba turns to him and raises an eyebrow.

“What were you and Ruri talking about?” Kyoutani asks.

“Nothing,” Yahaba says. “She was just showing me where you lived.”

“Bullshit. She was all friendly towards you. What did I miss?”

Yahaba shrugs. He has no reason to lie, but he feels like it would be disrespectful to Sanada to act as a messenger between them.

“I like her,” Yahaba says. “She’s a cool girl. I can see why she’s important to you. I don’t understand why you haven’t talked to her yet.”

Kyoutani cringes at the jab. “I- I was thinking about what you said. I’m gonna- I’m gonna talk to her tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Yeah.”

“Sounds like you’re procrastinating.”

“Lay off my back, will you? If I’m saying I’m gonna talk to her tomorrow, I’m gonna talk to her tomorrow.”

Yahaba rolls his eyes and stops right before it’s time to strip his underwear. He feels an unreasonable flush creeping onto his face. They’re both boys and they’re teammates, so being naked around one another shouldn’t be a big deal. He should have been changing in front of the other members of the club for years. Telling himself to stop being ridiculous, he reaches for the hem of his boxers. Behind him, he hears Kyoutani coughing again and shifting around.

Yahaba all but jumps into the sweatpants, thankful for the feeling of dry clothes, but cringing at how uncomfortable it feels to be wearing pants without underwear. When he turns to reach for the T-shirt, he feels the weight of Kyoutani’s eyes on him again. More specifically, on his torso.

He sighs. “You can just ask, you know? Or is it a habit of yours not to talk to your friends?”

He half-expects Kyoutani to get angry at the low blow, but he only shrug his shoulders guiltily. Yahaba immediately feels bad.

“Is that- is that real?” Kyoutani asks.

“The tattoo?” Yahaba pulls the shirt on. “It’s very real. I got it a couple of months before I transferred to Aoba Johsai.”

“That’s illegal. You’re a minor.”

It’s Yahaba’s turn to cringe with guilt. “It’s a long story.”

“We’ve got time,” Kyoutani says. “C’mon.”

Yahaba frowns, following Kyoutani out of the room. “Come on where?”

“Kitchen. I was making dinner when Ruri texted me. Since you’re not going anywhere in this rain, you could help me.”

Oh.

_Oh._

Unless Yahaba is very mistaken, Kyoutani had just invited him to a sleepover.

Something - call it his instincts - tells him this is a bad idea. He should just ask Kyoutani to lend him an umbrella and head home.  Spending time alone with Kyoutani Kentarou - actually alone, not at-school-alone - sounds dangerous, somehow.

The thing is… Yahaba wants to stay. He likes being around Kyoutani. There probably isn’t  anyone waiting for him at home this early, anyway.

Yahaba follows Kyoutani to the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew. I'm halfway finished with the next chapter, so it shouldn't take long. Pretty please let me know what you thought of this one?


	6. Kyoutani's questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyoutani and Yahaba try a little honesty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this chapter ready for a while, but @[pepitacat](http://pepitathecat.tumblr.com) made[ this amazing drawing ](http://pepitathecat.tumblr.com/post/166688174165/illustration-inspired-by-a-mate-for-a-mad-dog)of Yahaba's tattoo. I screamed for about five years and decided to post the chapter earlier so I could share this with y'all. Pls, check their blog, they got a lot of cool art in there. 
> 
> And welp. Here's the chapter, I guess. It's super dialogue heavy, but it was so fun to write.

If couple of hours ago someone had told Kyoutani he’d spend his evening cooking dinner with Yahaba Shigeru, he would have laughed at their faces.  If he _knew_ beforehand he was going to spend his evening cooking with Yahaba Shigeru, he probably would have died of nervousness.

As it is, Kyoutani doesn’t have the time to laugh or to die, because he has to teach Yahaba _everything_ : from the habit of washing his hands before he handles different ingredients, _you’re not a wild animal, Yahaba, for fuck’s sake,_ to the correct way to hold a knife in order to not chop off his own fingers. He knew Yahaba was a spoiled brat that couldn’t cook, but he didn’t know to what extent.  Yahaba isn’t a good learner exactly. He wouldn’t stop blushing and complaining about Kyoutani’s methods. Kyoutani is shocked that they manage to get any food ready before 8pm.

They eat mostly in silence, as they usually do when they have lunch together at school. Although there aren’t any classmates making background noise and the two of them are the only people in the apartment, it’s comfortable. Nice.

If someone had ever told him he would ever be in companionable silence with Yahaba Shigeru, Kyoutani would have rolled his eyes at the impossibility.

But then there they are, sitting on Kyoutani’s room floor. Yahaba is wearing his clothes, that fit him loosely, and he isn’t an unachievable holy creature like Kyoutani once thought. He is still unfairly beautiful, sure, but he’s also a dork.

A dork that likes Kyoutani, as the man himself said. Yahaba thinks of Kyoutani as his friend. And the feeling is mutual, Kyoutani realized.

Kyoutani doesn’t know if he’ll ever get over his embarrassing crush. Judging by how things are going, he won’t, let’s be honest. Yahaba was walking around _in the rain_ looking for Kyoutani’s good luck charm. Yahaba is way too likable for his own good. Nevertheless, whether Kyoutani gets over it or not, Yahaba’s friendship will always be important to him.

They are waiting for the rain to go away, but it doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen anytime soon. Yahaba is probably going to have to stay the night.

Kyoutani doesn’t freak out about it - not too much, at least. He still has the fattest, stupidest crush on Yahaba, but, as they move to Kyoutani’s room together, he realizes he is more than comfortable to be by Yahaba’s side.

He won’t ever admit that, but he’s thankful to Oikawa.

“So… The tattoo…” Kyoutani starts.

Yahaba groans. “You’re not letting that go, are you?”

“It’s kind of hard to let go.”

Yahaba takes a deep breath and, for some reason, scoots closer to Kyoutani so the two of them are sitting with their backs resting on his bed. Kyoutani stiffens his shoulders, as he does every time someone invades his personal space, but he can’t help but notice the way Yahaba seems to relax. As if physical proximity makes him feel calmer. Readier for this conversation.

The idea of anyone feeling comforted by being close to him makes Kyoutani feel all warm and fuzzy. The fact that Yahaba is that anyone doesn’t help with the butterflies in his stomach.

“Let’s play twenty questions,” Yahaba says suddenly.

“What?”

“It’ll feel weird if I just tell you my tragic backstory like this. It’s better if we make an equal exchange, isn’t it?”

“Your backstory is tragic?”

“That’s just an expression, Kyoutani, geez. So, you wanna play or not?”

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“I want to.” Yahaba sighs. “I don’t mind telling you. I’ll just feel weird if I’m the only one confessing stuff. So, twenty questions?”

Kyoutani is aware that he’s being given a huge amount of trust right now. He doesn’t know if he has a secret big enough to equal having a tattoo, but Yahaba probably knows that too. Lots of people at school think Kyoutani is some sort of delinquent, but Yahaba knows better by now. Kyoutani nods.

“I start, then. Why do you have a tattoo? You’re not… Yakuza or some shit are you?”

Yahaba snorts. “No, this… was the result of a challenge. I used to live in a big city before, so tattoos were not that big of a deal.”

There’s a beat in which Kyoutani raises an eyebrow at him. Yahaba blushes.

“Okay, it was kind of a big deal. One of my friends got one and he was bragging about it and just- being annoying, right? He thought he was superior or some shit. So I went and got a _bigger_ tattoo just to show him.”

Kyoutani is pretty sure the expression on his face is pity, judging by the way Yahaba flushes harder. It’s just… This is the stupidest thing he’s ever heard, but it’s just _so_ Yahaba. It doesn’t fit the image most people have of the goody two shoes class rep Yahaba-kun, but it fits the Yahaba only his closest friends know: the petty, competitive and annoying Yahaba.

“You got your skin permanently inked because your friend annoyed you.”

“To be fair, I regretted it almost immediately, but, like, three of my friends went to the tattoo parlour with me, so I went with it until the end.”

“I don’t know if I should laugh at your stupidity or cry.”

Yahaba scowls at him, but doesn’t say anything in response. He probably thinks this story is cry/laughter worth too.

“Fine, then it’s your turn. What do you really think of Oikawa-san?”

“What kind of stupid question is that? I hate him!”

Yahaba looks unimpressed. “You’re not supposed to lie. I told you the truth about my tattoo. It’s not fair if you get all tsundere on me.”

They glare at each other. There is a silent mutual agreement that everything said in this room won’t leave this room and Kyoutani knows Yahaba isn’t a tell-tale type. Finally, he sighs.

“Ok, but keep in mind that I’m not the one that endured hours of pain just because I was too embarrassed to admit to my friends that I made a bad decision,” Kyoutani says and he grins at Yahaba’s annoyed pout. “I think Oikawa is strong, but I don’t trust him. He’s weird.”

“You don’t _trust_ him,” Yahaba repeats with a snort. “And I’m the one accused of being a yakuza. You watch too much TV, Kentarou-kun.”

Kyoutani flips him off. Yahaba rolls his eyes.

“Next question, what kind of friends did you have, to go around getting inked like that?”

“Not good friends,” Yahaba says. “I was a bit of a delinquent back then.”

“Be serious.”

“I am!”

They have another staredown and, despite the fact that Yahaba is pouting, Kyoutani can tell he means it. And this is a touchy subject Yahaba wouldn’t talk about with just anyone. Kyoutani decides not to push it.

“Ask your question,” he says.

Yahaba thinks about it for a second. “You seriously never considered dating Sanada?”

Kyoutani is taken aback by that question. “What? No!”

“No need to get so defensive,” Yahaba says. “It’s just… She seems really nice. And she is cute. You never…”

“ _No_ ,” Kyoutani stresses. “She’s been my friend since I was born. It would be like dating Shinji. Just… wrong.”

Yahaba considers him for a moment, his brow furrowing in concentration. He’s giving this question way more attention than something asked out of innocent curiosity deserves. Kyoutani sustains his gaze until Yahaba seems satisfied with whatever conclusion he comes to. For some reason, Yahaba looks relieved.

Why would he look relieved?

“Your transference,” Kyoutani starts before his thoughts stray somewhere dangerous. “Did it have something to do with your friends?”

“Yes and no,” Yahaba says quietly.

“You know, you don’t get to scold me about not elaborating my answers and then be vague as fuck when it’s my turn to ask.”

Yahaba smiles softly. “You’re right. I transferred to Aoba Johsai because my mom got transferred at work. I thought it was a good opportunity for a change, so I used it to leave my delinquent self behind.”

Kyoutani frowns at that, aware that asking more questions now would be bending the rules. Yahaba sighs, interpreting Kyoutani’s lack of comments correctly, and he decides to volunteer information.

“I don’t know why I acted like that, alright? I went around picking up fights and stuff like that. In a way, the tattoo helped me...? My dad almost had a heart attack and even before that I realized how stupid I was being.  So I stopped hanging out with my old friends and tried to change. When mom was offered the transference to Miyagi, I took it as a chance to start again in a place where no one knew me. I decided to start playing volleyball instead of fighting and being an actual responsible student instead of… well. It’s working so far.”

Kyoutani tries to process that information. As their game progresses, a lot of things about Yahaba start to make sense. The reason why it’s so important to him that his hair is always flawless and his uniform is always pristine. How adamant he is about respecting his upperclassmen. The way he never once looked intimidated by Kyoutani.

It makes one wonder which of them is the real mad dog.

“My turn,” Yahaba interrupts Kyoutani’s thoughts. “Do you only like boys?”

Kyoutani frowns. “Where did that come from?”

“Because of something Sanada said earlier. She told me she kind of expected you to reject her because she was not his type and then she gestured at me. I assumed she meant your type means someone of the same gender...?”

Kyoutani’s entire body go stiff, a million of terrified thoughts churning in his head at the same time. Why were Yahaba and Ruri talking about confessions and Kyoutani’s type? Why Yahaba would ask about that at all? And had Ruri really thrown him under the bus like that, telling Yahaba he was Kyoutani’s type? (Granted, she thought Yahaba and Kyoutani were already dating, but still.)

“You, huh, can skip the question, if you don’t feel like telling me…?” Yahaba suggests hesitantly.

“No,” Kyoutani cuts him off and shakes his head. There is no reason to be embarrassed about this. Yahaba had told him personal stuff as well and this isn’t even a _secret._ Kyoutani had come to terms with his sexuality _years_ ago. “I’ve liked girls before, too. And boys. I don’t care about useless shit like that.”

Yahaba knits his eyebrows at that and Kyoutani can see the question forming in his thoughts. He watches as the other boy’s confused expression goes slack and his cheeks start getting adorably red (and how unfair it is that Yahaba looks cute even when he's beet-red flushed.) Kyoutani knows his face isn't any better now that they're both thinking of the implications of that answer, given Ruri’s comment.

Desperately, Kyoutani tries to think of a question to distract Yahaba.

“Why did you agree to Oikawa's stupid plan?”

“It's Oikawa-senpai,” Yahaba corrects mechanically. “And… I don't know myself. I guess I thought Ruri was a bad person. Someone who couldn't take no for an answer. I hate bad people, so maybe I thought I’d help you out a bit.”

“Even though you hated me?”

Yahaba gives him a strange look. “I didn't _hate_ you.”

Kyoutani scoffs incredulously.

“You _annoyed_ me, but I never hated you!” Yahaba insists. “Of course, if I knew you were the coward in the story…”

Kyoutani flinches. “I told you I'm gonna talk to her tomorrow!”

“I'll let you off the hook when you actually _do it_.”

Kyoutani sighs, unable to argue. That's probably fair. He isn’t proud that he put this off for so long.

“My turn now,” Yahaba interrupts his thoughts. “Am I really your type?”

So much for distracting Yahaba.

Kyoutani wants to yell at him, as he feels his neck warming up impossibly, his face boiling. That would do no good, though. That would be an admission. Yahaba probably won’t push it if Kyoutani refuses to answer, but what good would that accomplish? Whatever answer Kyoutani gives - unless he straight up lie, which he won’t do, because he’s not a cheater - will make his real thoughts painfully clear.

Kyoutani takes a deep breath. He avoids Yahaba’s eyes. “Yes.”

“Oh. You… _Oh_.”

It then occurs to him that Yahaba is staying the whole night after this. There’s nowhere to run away.

There’s something about the silence that feels different from before. A tension in the air that makes Kyoutani’s stomach do weird flips. He swallows dry.

Yahaba is avoiding his gaze, all right, and his face is redder than Kyoutani has ever seen before. However, he doesn’t look disgusted or uncomfortable. In fact, he looks almost as though-

“Sanada said something that…” Yahaba scratches his own nape awkwardly. “At the time, I didn’t think...Huh.”

“What question are we on?” Kyoutani asks abruptly, interrupting his own thoughts before they wander somewhere dangerous.

“What? Ah… Huh. I don’t know. I was never counting.” Yahaba makes a dismissive gesture.

“What the hell? How do we win this game, anyway?”

“I don’t think you can win 20 questions.”

“What the hell, Yahaba! Why does this game even exist?”

“I don’t know? I don’t even think we were playing it right. It’s just a game people play to get to know each other better.”

“It shouldn’t be called a game if there aren’t any winners. That’s just a conversation.”

Yahaba snorts and starts laughing and suddenly everything is too much. Yahaba is too pretty, his laughter is too adorable. The way he turns to Kyoutani, affection in his eyes and a soft smile still curling his lips upwards, is too overbearing.

“You’re ridiculous,” Yahaba tells him in the tenderest voice, each word feeling like a gentle touch.

Yahaba, with his pretty face and insufferable personality. Yahaba and his sharp tongue and unafraid stand. Yahaba, that is wearing Kyoutani’s shirt, whose shoulder is showing because it’s too big on him. Yahaba, that is staring at Kyoutani with warmth in his sweet brown eyes and a smile on his inviting lips.

Something in Kyoutani snaps and he leans in abruptly. Shinji and Ruri would probably have advised him against that. First kisses are supposed to be soft, and tentative and tender.  They would have told him that Kyoutani needed to learn how to romance.

He had never needed to hold back with Yahaba, though.

Yahaba, that grabs the front of Kyoutani’s T-shirt as soon as they lips smash together, and pulls him closer as if he’s trying to take control. Yahaba, that sighs softly against his mouth right before he turns the kiss into a competition.

Kyoutani groans breathlessly, letting himself be pulled. Yahaba smells like rain and tastes impossibly sweet. Kyoutani buries his fingers into his hair like he’s wanted to do since the first day and it feels as soft as he thought it would and he wants to make sure Yahaba isn’t pulling away anytime soon.  Not that Yahaba is giving any signs that he’ll be going anywhere anytime soon, if his tongue running across Kyoutani’s bottom lip means anything.

The kiss turns into something deeper and Yahaba pulls Kyoutani closer, letting out the most alluring sound Kyoutani ever heard in his life as the kiss unfolds into a sloppy makeout session.

When Kyoutani pulls away to catch his breath, Yahaba gets his lower lip between his teeth. He involuntarily lets out a soft whimper of surprise.

His eyes open slowly, drowsily - Kyoutani hadn’t even realized he had them closed - and he meets Yahaba’s equally hazy ones. They’re close enough they can feel each other’s breaths.

It lasts for a couple more seconds, as the realization of what they’ve just done slowly settles down on them. Yahaba’s eyes grow doe wide. Kyoutani has yet to find in himself to takes his hands away from Yahaba’s hair.

Yahaba is the first to break the silence, of course. Kyoutani starts to think they have already established that Yahaba is the brave one of the two.

“Y-you… We…” Yahaba croaks and Kyoutani wants to die, because his hoarse voice is probably not the hottest thing Kyoutani has ever heard, but it certainly feels like it right now. “Sanada said you had a crush on me.”

From that, Kyoutani thinks they can both agree that Yahaba is the stupidest one as well. He finally manages to let go of him, the magic of the moment completely gone. Yahaba seems to realize his mistake, judging by the way he frowns, but, now that the cat is out of the bag, he isn’t backing down.

“She said… she said you had a crush on me for a while,” he insists, his voice closer to normal now, “but you thought I hated you. I… Then I didn’t think much of it, but… Kyoutani, is it true?”

He sounds hopeful.

Why would he sound hopeful?

Kyoutani opens his mouth, but words were never his friends and it doesn’t seem like that changed. He makes a weird stuttering sound, but, before he can actually form a sentence, a sharp knock on the door makes them both jump away from each other.

Kyoutani frowns at the door. His father never knocks.

“Dad?” He manages.

They watch the knob twisting slowly and the door opening even slower. Kyoutani’s father hesitantly eyes the room before he comes in clearing his throat.

“Kentarou,” he says awkwardly. “You have a… huh. Guest.”

“Right,” Kyoutani shakes his head on a stupid attempt to clear his thoughts. “This is my teammate, he, huh, came here to give me something back, so I invited him to stay the night.”

Yahaba is already on his feet, his face flushed as he bows stiffly. “It’s very nice to meet you, sir. I’m Yahaba Shigeru. I’m deeply sorry for intruding.”

“It’s fine,” Kyoutani’s dad says, still in that oddly awkward tone. “I met Ruri-chan outside and she told me you’d be here. It’s- It’s a pleasure. Make yourself at home.”

Kyoutani wants to ask his father why he sounds like he’s dying. He’s usually awkward in the sense he looks scary and angry even when he’s not. It’s not like Kyoutani’s father to act like… Well, like Kyoutani, when he’s in front of a cute person.

Then Kyoutani notices his father is staring at Yahaba - really staring - as if measuring him. Kyoutani feels oddly defensive and has to resist the urge to let his father know that Yahaba isn’t just a pretty boy.

“Have you told your parents you’re staying the night?” Kyoutani’s dad asks.

“Yes, sir,” Yahaba says. “I texted them a while ago.”

A tight nod. Kyoutani’s father shift his weight from one foot to the other, clearly uneasy. “Good,” he says finally. “Good, just… I’ll be in my room if you two need something. You… You boys keep this door open, alright?”

And he leaves, making Kyoutani even more confused.

“What’s with him?” He mutters.

Yahaba, on the other hand, looks absolutely horrified, his face even redder than it was when Kyoutani kissed him.

“What’s with _you_?” Kyoutani asks.

“Y-your father.” Yahaba’s voice breaks. “ _Sanada_ told him I was here. She thinks- He thinks…! Kyoutani, your father thinks you have your boyfriend staying the night.”

Kyoutani makes a pained noise. He didn’t think he couldn’t get any more embarrassed, but he was wrong.

Neither Kyoutani nor Yahaba tries to talk about what happened on that night.

As Kyoutani’s father requested, the door stays open.

 

 

Breakfast with his father on the next morning is a silent event. When Yahaba profusely thanks his father for letting him stay over and deeply apologizes again for coming without bringing something, Kyoutani’s father looks overwhelmed and Kyoutani feels vindicated. He knows how hard it is to stare directly at Yahaba when he’s being beautiful like that and it’s never easy to deal with his pristine politeness. That’s what his father gets for making embarrassing assumptions based on lies Kyoutani told.

Despite Yahaba’s usual flawlessness, neither boy seems well rested. Kyoutani can only figure Yahaba had trouble sleeping as much as he did.

It doesn’t help that, when they’re on their way to the stairs, Ruri comes out of her own apartment.

The three stand frozen for the longest moment. Kyoutani feels warm fingers on his and notices, shocked, that Yahaba has grabbed his hand. Yahaba is staring at Ruri as he does so and the gesture feels oddly possessive. Before Kyoutani can think of asking what he is doing, Yahaba squeezes his hand once and lets go.

“I’m going ahead,” he says. “I feel like walking to school alone today.”

And he hurries to the stairs before Kyoutani can rect.

Ruri stares at him going with raised eyebrows and makes as if to go after him. Of course she does. Ruri is not one to beg and she certainly isn’t going after Kyoutani. Not anymore, anyway. He grabs her sleeve before she leaves.

“What?” She barks, annoyed.

Kyoutani doesn’t flinch, but her voice feels like a punch on the gut. He has to square his shoulders not to retreat.

“Hey,” he says. “Can we… Can we walk to school together?”

Ruri scowls at him and then lets out a sarcastic laughter. “Seriously? You’re so _whipped_! I mean, I thought you’d be, all things considered, but it doesn’t make it any less pathetic.”

Kyoutani flinches and lets go of her. He deserved that, yes, but he can’t ignore the sting.

“I’m not here because Yahaba told me to,” he protests. “I mean, he did, but I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t want to talk to you.”

“What if I don’t want to talk to you?” She challenges.

Kyoutani recoils. “Then… then I’ll leave you alone. But I need to… I want to a-apologize. I fucked up.”

Ruri glares at him. She dropped the pigtails recently and she’s wearing her hair down like she used to when they were younger. Her skirt doesn’t look as short and she isn’t even wearing socks. Kyoutani likes it better like this, because it looks more like herself. Suddenly, it occurs to him that maybe she started doing all that - brushing her hair and wearing socks - to look cuter. Because Kyoutani likes cute people.

God, he’s such an asshole.

“Fine,” she says, finally. “We can walk to school together.”

He lets out a relieved sigh. The two of them head to the stairs. They can’t hear Yahaba’s footsteps anymore, which means they are completely alone. Kyoutani fumbles with his thoughts, very aware that he’s completely in the wrong, but still unsure of what to say. What can he do to make this right? What can he say to fix their friendship? Will they ever be able to go back to how it was before?

They are almost outside when Ruri breaks the tense silence.

“I thought you wanted to talk to me,” she says coldly.

Kyoutani scowls. “I did. I do. It just-”

 _She deserves an honest answe_ r, Yahaba’s voice echoes in Kyoutani’s mind.

“I’m sorry I freaked when you confessed. I didn’t… I just panicked, all right? I never thought- I can’t see you as a girl.”

“Wow, thanks.”

 _Crap_. “I didn’t mean- Damn it, I meant-”

“I know what you mean, dumbass,” Ruri says and he can almost hear her eyes rolling. “For how long do you think I know you? I… I expected you to dump me, to be honest. I knew you were super into that guy, but I had to try, because I thought you had no chance with him. No… wait, that’s not true. I would have confessed even if I knew you were dating, because I needed closure. Of course, I didn’t expect you to be such a baby.”

Kyoutani sighs. He believes her. She would have confessed anyway. The two of them are similar in several aspects, but Ruri has always been tougher. She might struggle with voicing her feelings like he does, but she isn’t afraid of them like he is. Kyoutani has always admired that in her.

“It’s weird not being friends with you. I hate it,” he admits, because hey. He isn’t losing. If Ruri can bare her honest feelings, so can Kyoutani. Mostly.

“So I’ve been told,” she chuckles without any humor. “Your boyfriend was very pissed at you because of that.”

Kyoutani groans.

“He’s cool, by the way. I can see why you like him.”

“Ruri…”

“It’s fine, Kentarou,” she says. “But I’m still super pissed at you. I don’t think I can forgive you yet.”

Kyoutani feels his stomach sinking. He wants to protest, but even he doesn’t think that would be fair. It’s Ruri’s prerogative to forgive him or not. There’s nothing he can do about it. He hasn’t felt this frustrated in a long time.

“Did it make you happy?” Ruri asks. “When I confessed?”

Kyoutani is socially aware enough to know what the correct answer is. He’s seen dialogues like this in anime before. He can’t bring himself to lie to her, though.

“Not even a bit,” he says. “I didn’t see it coming and I didn’t want you to like me that way at all.”

Ruri snorts loudly.

“I… I was flattered, though. I don’t think I deserve that.”

“That you don’t,” Ruri nods. “And that’s why I’m giving up on you. I can only be hung on a guy for so long. I’m moving on now, Kentarou.”

He doesn’t know what to say to that, so he keeps quiet.

“I’m moving on, so… maybe I’ll forgive you, if you make it up to me, and we can go back to being just friends.”

Kyoutani stops walking and stares at her, wide eyed. “Really?”

Ruri stops as well and turns to glare at him. She’s still very small, so she has to turn her face upwards to stare Kyoutani in the eyes. It feels like she’s bigger.

“Maybe. Until then… Take good care of your own boyfriend. I don’t know how you managed to catch such a man, but if you don’t watch out I’m stealing him from you.”

“You- _what?”_

She laughs and starts walking again. “Scram,” Ruri orders. “I don’t wanna walk with you anymore. If you hurry, maybe you catch up with Yahaba.”

Kyoutani is about to protest until he sees the tight way she holds her shoulders. He recognizes that posture. It’s the one he adopts when he doesn’t want people to see he’s hurting. He hesitates for a moment, but, in the end, he knows that if Ruri needs comfort, she probably doesn’t want it from him. He nods and walks past her, hurrying as she suggested.

He thinks of texting Shinji so he can talk to her. He knows Ruri has plenty of friends in her club and her classroom, but she probably won’t open up to them as she would to Shinji or Kyoutani. In the end, he doesn’t. It’s not his place to.

He must have walked faster than he expected, because he does find Yahaba several blocks before they reach the school. He doesn’t know what kind of expression he’s making, but it must be one worrying enough that Yahaba immediately asks him “that bad?” when he sees him.

Kyoutani shakes his head and, without thinking, reaches for Yahaba’s hand. Yahaba lets him intertwine his fingers and says nothing when Kyoutani just starts walking again, their arms touching. It’s nice. The warmth of his touch eases Kyoutani, although it doesn’t fully erase the heavy feeling in his gut.

The two boys walk in silence after that. Yahaba doesn’t push him away or ask anything, almost as if he knows exactly what Kyoutani needs.

He wonders if having a real boyfriend feels like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: the next chapter might be the last!! Who knows? Not me!! I have no control over how long the scenes in my head get!!


End file.
